Groundling 2: Tell Me No Lies
by ardavenport
Summary: Onie Thatcher arrives in Haven with her Companion Lillis to begin her training as a Herald. Her Ground Gift is a puzzle to the Mages and the Companions, but mostly just a frustration for Onie. 2nd of the Groundling stories.
1. Chapter 1

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 1**

* * *

Lillis stood on the rise, the morning sun shining on the city that cast long shadows in the dawn that burned off a fog further beyond. Onie knew that Haven was the largest city in Valdemar, but seeing the reality was much different from hearing about it. It was so large that it had its own green areas of trees and grass within the crowd of buildings near the center. A high stone wall encircled the original city itself though many buildings spilled out around it. And there was a big green area that Onie knew had to be Companion's Field. Lillis's home.

The wide paved main road that they were on led down to the city. There were already carts and people heading toward the nearest gate. Lillis tossed her head that they needed to go. She was impatient.

"All right. Lead tha way."

Bridle bells jingling, Lillis quick-trotted down the road. The Companion was quite proud of her trot, perfected so that at least one foot was on the ground at all times, keeping Onie's connection to it. It was as smooth as her walk but it had still taken most of a morning for Onie to get used to it. Sometime amidst all the bouncing up and down, Onie had figured out that if she just concentrated on the parts of her that were touching Lillis things went a lot more smoothly for both of them. Lillis's trot was faster than any horse that wasn't galloping, but it had still taken them days to reach the capital where Onie would begin her training as a Herald.

Lillis had been very annoyed that Onie made them stop and camp off the side of the road when they were less than four candlemarks from Haven; the gate guards would not have cared that they were coming in late, but Onie had insisted. She didn't say anything, but Onie was pretty sure that her Companion knew that she was uneasy about completing the trip. Once she was in Haven, at the Herald's Collegium, that would be her home. And her old home, the time with her family at Fair Fields, would be done. The finality of that change made her as queasy as if she had her feet off the ground. Lillis had sulked and stamped her feet that Onie shouldn't be so fearful, and a candlemark before dawn she had nudged her out of her bedroll so they could finish the trip. Onie got up, did her business, ate and packed up so slowly that Lillis whinnied in frustration. Then Onie took extra care grooming Lillis who had to put up with it since she had been rolling in the tall grass in the moonlight when she didn't get her way about going on to Haven after dark. Now they were finally on the last stretch of road and the Companion pranced forward with long delayed satisfaction.

The people on foot, riding and in carts glanced their way, some moving to the side as Lillis trotted past. Onie couldn't really make out most of their expressions, but nobody seemed much more than mildly curious about them. This close to Haven, they probably saw Companions and Heralds all the time. A few smiled and waved. Onie felt obliged to give them a little wave back when she wasn't clutching the pommel of the saddle. Lillis was going to parade her newly-Chosen past the whole city before they actually got to the palace. The approached the mills and workhouses, and from the smell of them, tanneries and animal pens, outside the city.

They slowed down for a line of three big hay wagons and when they cleared them Lillis picked up their pace again, nimbly avoiding the other traffic. Even with her weak eyes, Onie could see the bright white back end of another Companion ahead of them. And the person riding was not wearing white or gray.

The other Companion, a big broad-shouldered stallion glanced back at them and his ears perked up when he saw Lillis. Onie smirked with her own satisfaction. Lillis could not complain now that she had dallied so long making her look nice. There was just a little flirtation in the looks the two Companions exchanged as they slow trotted together, their bells and hooves chiming together. The other Chosen did not look nearly so confident. Onie did not think that he could have been any older than seven, looking very tiny aside the big stallion.

Clutching the pommel of his Companion's saddle, he warily looked back at Onie with big, nervous brown eyes. His hair was long and tangled, dirty brown, his clothes baggy and made of the cheapest rough brown cloth, frayed at the ends of the sleeves and pants. And his bare feet were dark with worn-in dirt.

"I'm Onie, this here is Lillis," she started. He looked like he badly needed to be set at ease. "Are ye from 'round here?" She couldn't imagine that any town in Valdemar would let him leave for Haven without giving him some shoes to travel in.

"Just now!" the boy's awe suddenly burst out of him. He pointed behind them. "I works for my uncle back at the flour mill. He's the foreman and lets me sleep in the storeroom. I was just sweeping up when Capar just shows up and says he's Chosen me! An – an my cousin, he just puts me on his back and says go, go before my uncle finds a way so can mess it up!" He looked like he was about to cry. "Barro will get beat for sure when Uncle Sev finds out."

Onie frowned back. "Ye jus' tells 'em exactly that, when we gets to tha palace. Yer Uncle Sev will have'ta answer to the Queen's own guards if he touches yer cousin for sendin' ye on."

The boy gulped and looked less likely to burst into tears. "You think so? Barro will have to do my sweeping or Uncle will be twice as mad, so he can't run off 'till later."

"I knows it," Onie answered with a definite nod. And to confirm it, both Companions turned their heads to nod back to him, too. The boy exhaled with relief and wiped his dirty nose. Onie knew he had to be an orphan, if he was sleeping in a storeroom and working for his uncle, who obviously didn't give him any love.

"Capar's a fine lookin' stallion. Ye got a name, too?"

"Oh! I'm Sack! Well . . . . " he paused, embarrassed, "my Ma called me Saston, but my uncle calls me Sack an' . . . . now everybody does."

"Well, if ye tells 'em that ye're called Saston at the Colleg'm, they'll calls ye that there. An' that's a mite bit more important than what yer uncle calls ye. Ye got another name ta go with Saston?"

He lowered his eyes. "My Ma, before she died of the fever, she said that I didn't have another name. And my uncle, he acts like that's something bad."

_Uh, oh._ Born on the wrong side of the sheets, and orphaned, too. Or maybe just abandoned if the father was alive out there somewhere. But that wasn't anything bad as far as Onie was concerned, certainly not with her own nephew not having a proper father, either.

"Well, that won't matter up with tha Heralds. Capar Chose ye and that's good enough fer the Heralds. Good enough fer tha Queen even."

Saston started to look a little more hopeful and she smiled back. They approached the gate. Guards looked down at them from high up on top of the wall while others at the Gate waved them on; one saluted. The bell-like clopping of the Companion's hooves echoed in the tunnel as they passed under the thick walls, past more guards by the inner gate. Knowing exactly where to go, the Companions trotted along while both riders gaping at the city around them. Bakers, seamstresses, potters, carpenters, weavers, butchers, Onie saw more trade shops than she'd seen in her whole life. And she lost count of the taverns and inns. 'The Green Boot', 'The Compass Rose', 'The Bent Arrow', and quite a lot of them seemed to do morning custom, partons coming and going, some holding sausage rolls as they left.

The streets were smooth gray stone with plenty of cleaners wheeling carts about to scoop up the animal waste. As they followed the spiral of the main lane that led to the Palace in the middle, they passed courtyards with public fountains, women and children with buckets to fill, even in the poorer neighborhoods of tall narrow boarding houses two, three and even four stories high and shops along the street with upper stories to live in above. After several turns of streets, the quality of the shops and inns improved and there were more small parks and green places. Then the shops became nice homes and nicer temples. Then the homes became walled estates and only a little traffic, servants on foot, a few nobles on horseback and a some carts making deliveries to kitchen doors off the main lane. Saston admitted in a hushed voice that he had never been to the highborn parts of Haven before.

Finally, the Companions stopped by a plain door in a gray wall only two stories high, with only one guard in a clean blue uniform. He stopped them and checked the sigils on Lillis and Capars' tack.

"Back already? You've hardly been out for a candlemark."

Capar whuffed at him.

"But you must have to have come from quite afar, Milady." Lillis jingled her bells at him.

"Not s'far, Sir. M'fraid I slowed'er down a bit," Onie admitted.

"Well, you're here now." He swung the gate wide open for them. "Your Companions know where to go."

They passed through the gate onto a wide path. The gate rattling closed behind them sounded very final to Onie. To their right was a stone building. The Collegium? The palace itself? To their left were green fields and groves of trees. Companion's Field. Onie had heard enough Bards' songs to know exactly what it was.

Lillis and Capar went to the left, going at a quick walk to a large open stable. Servants came out to greet them, along with a man in Herald's whites. He had silver-white hair, clipped short like a soldier, a long lined face and pale eyes. But as soon as he took a step toward them, Onie saw the limp. The outline of one of his legs wasn't right; it was too straight in his boot. With a wary glance down at the ground, she grabbed the edge of the saddle and swung herself off and down. She had gotten fairly comfortable with climbing off by now, and the ground felt comfortingly solid under her shoes. Then she stepped over to Capar and reached up to Saston to help him down since he was too little to do it himself.

"Hello." The Herald smiled. Up close, his smile looked genuine, going all the way up to his eyes. Onie curtsied and Saston gulped. "The stablehands will take your Companions. You'll have plenty of time with them later after we get you settled." Saston's longing gaze followed Capar while Lillis gave Onie a wink as she followed the servants.

"I'm Herald Gordlin."

"Onie Thatcher, Sir." She curtsied again.

"Sa-Saston, Sir." He ducked his head.

"Well, I know this is all new for you two." He tilted his head at Saston. "You're a little younger than what we usually get," then to Onie, "and you're a little older."

Onie held back her grimace; she did not need any reminding about how old she was and how late this had all happened; again she wondered why Lillis couldn't have come to her ten years ago, but that was probably years before Lillis was ever foaled. It was all going to be much simpler for Saston.

"But we've had Chosen older than you come in. And younger than you." His voice rose in tone as he added that to Saston. "The first place we need to go is the Collegium, to get you started." He seemed to want an answer.

"'Spose, I need ta, Sir, since I'm startin' so late."

Saston just nodded earnestly, his eyes wide.

Gordlin gestured toward a smooth gray stone path back to the gray palace buildings and they followed him. His gait was almost normal as he smoothly used hip on one side to push his false leg forward.

The Castle, the Collegium, Onie had read tales about these places, heard about them from the Bards; she thought she should have been excited, as if the Queen herself might come out any minute to invite her to dinner, but the reality was just too large for her feel anything. Except for one thing. She very much wanted to touch the buildings, the stones as they walked by. They were old, carved into blocks and built into walls centuries ago and people had been living in them ever since, all that time. But she kept her hands clasped before her.

They came to the Herald's Collegium building and a young man in grey Herald's clothes met them. He was maybe fifteen, with broad shoulders, just beginning to fill out, untidy golden-red hair and a spatter of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Gordlin introduced him as Herald-Trainee Rodie and then looked down at Saston.

"Now, first before we start, I want to you go with Rodie here. He's going to get you cleaned up and get you some proper clothes and then we're going to talk to the Dean about your schooling."

"Come on, Sas," Rodie encouraged with a big, toothy grin.

"Saston." the seven year-old said before suddenly turning worried eyes up to Gordlin, "uh, Sir. My-my name is Saston."

Rodie's smile faltered, but Gordlin was completely unfazed. "Saston. Thank-you for reminding us," he added with a little low. That got a shy smile from the boy. He left, going up the steps into the wooden double doors of the Collegium.

"Now, Onie." He walked up the few steps and opened one of the heavy oak doors for her. She squared her shoulders, climbed the few steps and went inside.

She shivered in the anteroom, her eyes adjusting to the indoor light. Ahead, past open inner doors was a long hallway of dark wood paneling and doors. Light came in through windows above the doors and from side corridors in the middle and the far end. A few wall lanterns were lit as well. Saston and Rodie were nowhere to be seen. Gordlin led her down the hall, telling her about the Collegium. The doors led to classrooms and as they passed them, Onie heard muted voices behind some of them, morning classes. Onie listened to her guide talk about Herald book training, Valdemar law, languages, geography, history. She fervently wanted to know how many years she needed to study. Would she be thirty before she ever got through all the learning she needed now? But she said nothing, fearing what the answer might be.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Gordlin opened a door, beyond was a stairway. "Upstairs on this end is the girls' dormitory. I'm sorry, we'll have to put you with the young kids for now. Newly Chosen are usually a bit younger than you are."

She nodded. "Aye, I knows abouts that. An I'm na picky abouts wheres I stays."

She stopped.

Onie froze at the sight of the stairway. "Uh, Sir, I have me a big problem with bein' up high anywheres. I-I couldna even stay on Lillis's own back, 'less she went slow. Lillis an' I met two Heralds in Kettlesmith, Vern and Steren, an' they worked out tha I have some kind'a Ground Gift, an' that make's it hard fer me ta be up off the ground at all." Onie had practiced how she would explain to the Heralds in Haven about her problem in multiple ways, but she had not even thought that her first challenge would be stairs. All the building in Fair Fields were ground level. Onie had never had a reason to climb a set of stairs in her whole life.

Gordlin seemed a little surprised, but unconcerned. "Oh, well we only have the dormitories for Trainees on the second floor. And the Library's on the third floor. How about we try it first and see how you get along?" he suggested. Never having been up a flight of stairs in a building like this, Onie did not know what would happen; given her few bad experiences with ladders, she was sure it wasn't going to be good. But if she couldn't manage to at least try something so simple on her first day, what kind of Herald would she be?

She put her foot on the first step and started up. Putting a hand on the wall to steady her, Onie made it to the landing, but she had to let go and quickly look away from the window. Her poor sight spared her the details, but she could tell how high up she was from the greenery outside. Gordlin grabbed her arm and she put her hand on the wall again, facing the next section of stairs.

"Just up here." His voice was not nearly as confident as it had been.

Head down, Onie put one foot up after another. Up, up, up the well worn, wooden stairs. She felt light-headed when she got to the top and Gordlin waited, his hand on her shoulders, for her to catch her breath. Perhaps she could get used to this, like riding Lillis, with practice, but she did not look to the side, where the stairs continued to go up. She nodded and he knocked on the door before them. A moment later they heard footsteps running and it was opened by a very young woman who was probably only sixteen in a Herald uniform like Gordlin's except it was gray.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she immediately apologized. A little shorter than Onie, she had light blonde hair, tied back in a braid and blue eyes. "I should have been downstairs to greet you, but - -"

"That's all right, Hooli." Gordlin cheerfully waved off her fluster. "I'm sure Housekeeper won't be too upset if I'm just in the stairway. This is Onie Thatcher. She needs a room and then she's going to need clothes and supplies from downstairs. Onie this is one of our Trainees, she'll help you out here."

"Are you all right?" Hooli's already high-pitched voice went higher with concern.

One steadying hand still on the wall, Onie took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm jus na used ta tall buildings."

"Oh." Hooli didn't seem to know what to say. With a little push from Gordlin, Onie entered, the door closing behind her. It was another hall, all dark wooden panels and doors spaced close together.

"Well, this is the girls' dormitory. Men like Gordlin aren't really allowed here."

Still feeling dizzy, Onie followed the girl down the hall while she pointed out different doors. The names meant nothing to Onie, though there were name cards in holders by each door; she could read those later. They reached a door with no name card in its holder. "This one's yours." Daylight shone in the hallway as Hooli pushed the door open. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, a bookcase, a wardrobe in a narrow room. And a window with greenery and blue sky beyond, no ground visible from the door. Onie barely stepped inside.

"It's nice," she said. It was nice. A private room, with a door . . . Onie had never had anything like it. But she would have cheerfully traded it for a warm spot on a hearth. In a nice ground floor room. They had to have hearths here somewhere.

"Good, now the bathing room is at the end." Hooli hurried down the hall and then had to stop and wait for Onie to catch up. Again her young features clouded with worry. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Onie nodded. "Jus takes some gettin' used to, at's all." The hallway was too warm, her clothes didn't feel like they fit right and she kept her hand on the wood paneling for support. It was different from being up on Lillis; she felt like she was suffocating, the wall pressing in on her. They entered the bathing room. It had white walls and white basins, and pipes overhead and along the walls. They had hot water to wash with, even in winter, a fantastic luxury. But they were right next to the Queen's palace after all. Hooli showed her where the clean towels, soap and women's moon supplies were, along with laundry chutes for dirty towels, clothes and linens. Heralds were expected to be respectable and clean at all times. Her guide pointed to wooden doors to stalls on the side. All the waterclosets in the Collegium and palace were indoors, of course.

Onie dove into one of the stalls.

* * *

**- - - End Part 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 2**

* * *

Onie hadn't realized that she felt sick until that moment. The meat pocket pastry, cheese and apple, the last of her traveling food that she had eaten that morning came up, her stomach expelling it all at once.

"Oh, are you all right?"

_No, of course not._ But she could not answer. Her stomach found something else it didn't like and pushed that up too in another spasm.

"I'm going to get a Healer. Just stay here."

Onie heard Hooli running out and down the hall. Then a door slammed. Onie kept her head down, panting, between spasms that kept coming even after there wasn't anything left to bring up. But they did finally stop and she sat back and leaned on the doorframe of the watercloset. At least she hadn't made a mess on the floor. She glanced toward the door. Could she crawl there? Down the hall, down the stairs to the ground floor? She was pretty sure that she would get her strength back there. She had not started feeling bad until she climbed the stairs. But she wanted to wash her mouth out; it was fouled with acid and bits of partially digested food all the way up into her nose. She snorted to clear it and the sound echoed loudly in the empty bathing room.

The footsteps came running back.

"Gordlin's getting a Healer; they'll be here right away." Hooli knelt by her.

"Don' need a Healer, jus' need ta get down back ta tha ground from 'ere."

"Ooh, I think you do. An you'll have to see one anyway after that. Did you eat something bad?"

Onie shook her head. She was not up to giving the young Trainee one of her explanations about her Ground Gift, especially since she did not understand it much herself. "Could ye get me some water?"

Hooli nodded and hurried to get it. After some noisy clattering by the supply shelves and then splashing sounds she came back with a cup of water, a fresh white towel and a hand basin. Still sitting on the floor, Onie rinsed her mouth out and spit it out several times before taking a small sip. It didn't make her feel better and she wasn't sure if it wasn't going to come back up. Shivering, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them while Hooli hovered close, hoping to be helpful.

Sooner than she thought they could, a woman in a long green tunic with pockets and Gordlin arrived. Apparently illness was an acceptable reason for a man to enter the women's dormitory.

"All right, stand back." The Healer was a small round-faced woman with short, dark curls and delicate hands that she laid on Onie's shoulders. "I'm Luba and you're not feeling well, I see. Do you think it might be something you ate?"

One hand went to Onie's forehead, checking for fever. Her hands were soft, cool and dry and Onie's skin warmed under the Healer's palms.

"I jus need ta get downstairs, an I'll be fine." Onie haltingly told the Healer about the Ground Gift that the two Heralds in Kettlesmith thought she had. The Healer frowned. Her hands slid down Onie's arms and then went to her sides, stomach and chest.

"I've never heard of such a thing, but I don't see anything obvious that would be making you sick. Do you think you can walk if we help you?"

Onie nodded and the Healer and Gordlin helped her up. With one on each side of her, they slowly went to the door of the bathing room. Onie immediately felt warmer and less shaky on her left side, where she touched Healer Luba, like she was half in and half out of wellness and sickness.

"What?"

On her right, Gordlin stiffened, pausing only for a second before the three of them shuffled on down the hall, Hooli trotting ahead to open the door for them. They heard the noise coming up from the stairwell before they got there. Loud clattering with a bell-like undertone, people shouting. A high-pitched whinny.

_Oh, Lillis, I love you._

Hooli ducked into the stairwell ahead of them. When they entered she was down on the landing by the window, her mouth wide open in surprise. A loud and throaty whinny called out over the rumble of quite a lot of people. When the three of them got down to the landing, Lillis was waiting for them, her front feet up on the steps, big blue eyes turned upward. She whinnied again; Onie gave her a wan smile in return that did not reassure the Companion. The hallway behind the open door into the stairwell had filled up with students, in grays, blues, dull reds and greens along with a couple Heralds at Lillis's back end getting their faces switched by her tail.

"I never!" Luba called out. "Get out of the way you beast! Shoo! Shoo!"

Lillis backed up one step at a time, forcing the crowd to make space for her as she went.

Onie let out a sigh as soon as her foot hit the floor. She felt like someone had just opened a window in a very stuffy room.

"All right, all right, the excitement's over." A man in a scarlet Bardic robe, probably a teacher, raised his hands, his voice easily booming over the chatter. "I think we all need to go back to our classrooms. Now!" His voice carried authority that shut off the talking and people immediately started to back away, the hallway emptying quickly. One of the Heralds lingered, but Gordlin waved her off and she disappeared with the others into one of the many doorways.

"Well, now that is something." Luba stood away from Onie, hands on her hips, looking her up and down. "You are better," she added, cheerfully intrigued.

"That's good, but we should get out of here, I think," Gordlin gave Lillis a severe frown, "especially you, young lady."

Lillis snorted and waved her head for them to go first. Onie could walk normally now, but Gordlin kept his arm around her and she did not object. They did not speak as they passed the doors in the hallway that were now carefully ajar, many listening ears behind them. Luba pushed one outside door open for them. There were two Companions, brilliantly white in the morning sunshine, along with a stable-hand and another Herald waiting for them. Gordlin let go of Onie to hold the other door open to let Lillis out. She carefully picked her way down the few steps to face the big male Companion, but Onie, feeling her strength again, rushed forward and got in between them first.

"She didna do na harm. She was jus worried fer me."

The big stallion remained still as a statue, looking past her to Lillis. Onie advanced a step, making him look at her. "Ye gots na reason ta be mean ta her."

The stallion's blue eyes seemed to pass over her as if she was an afterthought and Onie knew why.

"Ye lot think she threw me and I'm sayin' she didna!" She jabbed her finger between those now widened big blue eyes. Ears perking up, the stallion lifted his large head. "An don' tell me na diff'rent what ye was a-thinkin' 'cause I can tell." The stallion took a step back. The other Companion, a smaller stallion, moved closer, extending his head and she pointed a stern finger back.

"Don' ye tell me I've na place in this, 'cause yer thinkin' wrong 'bout Lillis and I'm sayin' so."

The big stallion brought his nose close to her with a horsey-hrrrmm. She just sneered back.

"Don' tell me na lies 'bout what you was thinkin' bout' Lillis, 'cause I can tell otherwise - - ooof!" Gordlin yanked on her arm hard, pulling her out from between the three Companions.

"We generally let the Companions settle things amongst themselves around here." He kept a firm grip on her arm even when she tried to pull away. Lillis turned her head and touched her nose to Onie's cheek as he dragged her past. Her grateful eyes promised that she would not be punished . . . much. Reluctantly Onie let her stroll off with the others. They headed toward a bridge across the river leading to Companion's Field.

Gordlin stopped, presenting her to the other Herald, a lean man with dark eyes and brown hair gone gray.

"Dean this is one of our new arrivals, Onie Thatcher."

The man looked down at her with a smile.

She shook her head back. "Don' gots na Mindspeech Herald Dean, Sir."

"Yes, I can see that, though it looks like you have a bit more understanding that a lot people I know who do." He grinned warmly. "And it's Herald Teren, or Dean Teren. I'm the Dean of Herald's Collegium. I was expecting Gordlin to bring you by my office so we could discuss your position, but I had to come out here myself to see the show."

"Weren't Lillis's fault, Sir. I jus' don' do well goin' up high anywheres." She hung her head guiltily. "She's just worried fer me, Sir."

Dean Teren nodded amiably. "Well, that's understandable. I'll escort her to my office, Gordlin. Why don't you go back to your Seelia."

Gordlin let go and bowed his head. "Thank-you. I'll be off. He'll take good care of you." He told Onie before hurrying away with his not-quite limping gait, but Onie did not think his haste was because of her.

"Is Seelia his Companion?"

"Yes." He nodded after Gordlin's figure, disappearing around a hedge. "She had a colt a few days ago; it was a difficult birth and he stays with her every minute he can. That's why he was at the stable to greet you."

That surprised Onie. "Didna know any such thing could happen ta a Companion."

"Oh, yes it can." Luba nodded gravely. "It's not common, but we had two animal Healers and two human ones for both of them all night, though they're on the mend now. And that frisky little colt's doing well, too." She looked up at Teren. "Dean, after you're done with this young woman, I want her over at Healers' so we can have a look at this Ground thing she's got, especially if it's something that makes her sick."

"It isn't tha Ground Gift that's makin' me sick, Ma'am. It's getting' up high that brings it on."

"Well, whatever it is, I want a look at it." Teren agreed to send her to them later. Luba left and Onie fell in step with Dean Teren as he led her along the paths through the gardens to his office in the palace. On the way, he quizzed her about what Herald Sterens and Vern had said about her Ground Gift, and then he asked about her learning. She told him about keeping track of the account book for Essie Axehead at the Ox and Cart in Fair Fields and her letters were good, too. She had read over fifty books in her whole life. True most of them had been adventure tales that got passed around the town through Brother Callus at the Lady Trine's Shrine as an informal kind of library, but they were still books even if they weren't all that scholarly.

This seemed to please Teren, but then he started asking her about things that she did not know much about at all. Law, geometries, geographies, languages. She felt reasonably sure about her history though she had to admit that most of her knowledge came from what she heard from the Bards and adventure tales. But beyond the borders of Valdemar, she knew little. She did at least know that Iftel and Hardorn were to the east, Karse to the southeast and Rethwellen to the southwest.

By the time they reached the Dean's office, Onie fearfully wondered how many years she needed to catch up, sitting in classes with teenagers and younger. Though she knew it was unlikely, she pictured herself on a bench at a long table in a school room full of students Saston's age. She took a seat before his desk which was stacked with piles of pages, books and scrolls. There were many more books on the shelves just in his office than she had read in her whole life and she began to doubt the quality of her own learning.

"Now we've got a bit of a problem with where you're going to stay. The Herald-trainee dormitories and common room are up on the second floor of the Collegium, and the library's on the third." Teren sat back, thinking. Onie knew that in a place this big that there had be some place for her, but she did not know where to find it.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He called out and an elderly woman in a gray dress entered.

"You asked for me, Dean?"

"Ah, Housekeeper Gaytha, how's our young newly Chosen doing?"

"Oh, young Saston's getting along very well with Rodie showing him around. He's a little shy and he's a bit concerned for his cousin. Seems to think that his uncle won't be pleased that he was Chosen and that his cousin might get punished for sending him along to us a quick as he did, " she said with disdain. "I wanted to make sure that someone went down to his uncle's mill to set them straight, and maybe make arrangements for his cousin to come see him."

Teren scowled. "I was just going to send someone, but I think I'll send two and I'll ask them to check on Saston's cousin; thank-you for passing that on, Housekeeper." He gestured to Onie, still sitting before his desk. "But what I needed to talk to you about is our other new arrival."

The Housekeeper shook her head, her eyes sympathetic. "I heard the commotion but it was past by the time I came up to look. Hooli told me what happened. But I've never heard of a Ground Gift. Is there really such a thing?"

Teren shrugged. "I suppose there must be. Healer Luba wants us to send her along later so they can have a look at it, seeing that she gets sick from it."

"Don' feel like no Gift ta me right now," Onie admitted, hands clasped in her lap.

Teren nodded agreement. "Given that because of it she can't go upstairs, I was thinking that there might be some place she could stay in downstairs?"

Housekeeper opened her mouth in surprise. "Well, I don't know." She put her wrinkled hand to her chest. "I've never heard of such a thing, a student staying downstairs. There aren't any dormitory rooms down there." She huffed her confusion and then her eyes turned to Onie. Her fluster settled into sympathy. "But I suppose . . . if you really can't be upstairs without being sick . . . we can look."

"Don' need much," Onie assured her. "Slept on the hearth at me home jus fine. Brought me bedroll with me, too." She suddenly realized that her things had been tied to Lillis's saddle. Where had it all gone?

"On the hearth? You slept on a hearth?"

"Sleeping on hard surfaces is apparently very good for you." Teren paraphrased what Onie had told him on the way to his office.

"One can have too much of a good thing," Housekeeper Gaytha muttered. "But what about the library? Where's she going to study?"

Teren rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She may be able to use a library in the palace. I'll look into it." He stood.

Onie got up, seeing the cue for her to go.

Teren reached for a square of parchment from a stack on his desk. "Thank-you for your help Housekeeper. And I'll see to Saston's family."

She nodded. "Thank-you Dean. But I just hope there aren't too many more with this kind of Ground Gift, because I don't know where we'll put them. Well, come on." She gestured Onie to the door. "We'll just see where we can put you."

They left together. Gaytha was a little bit shorter than Onie, a little stooped with age, but otherwise reasonably spry. On the way, the Housekeeper gave her a list of the rules. Dirty clothes would go in the girls' pile in the laundry rooms. It was taken away to be washed every day and returned with all the palace and Collegium laundry. There were chutes from the dormitories above where it came down from. Cleanliness was mandatory with nightly hot water baths. No one was allowed at meals without washing up first and they had to change their clothes were sweaty or dirty. Clean uniforms were available whenever she needed them. And everyone did chores in Herald's Collegium.

"What can you do?"

"I can clean an mend clothes as well as anyone," Onie assured her. "I can knit an me embroidery isn't too bad cause I can see close up things real well."

"Close up?" Housekeeper peered at her carefully as they walked through wood-paneled halls. "Do you have trouble seeing far them?"

"A bit."

"Well, you better tell the Healers that when they see you. They can fix you up with spectacles quick enough. Why don't you have your own now?"

Onie grimaced. "Tried 'em. Worked great. Fer a week, before they got broke. Ruinously expensive, too. Never tried 'em again since I can see close things fine, and that's mostly what I need fer tha kitchen."

"You can cook then?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I was tha cook at tha Ox and Cart back in Fair Fields. Plain stuff, stew an' beans an barley an bread. Sometime we'd get honey, apples'r berries fer tarts, but Essie was na sure those brought in much more custumers since tha beer was always better at tha Wolf's Head."

That seemed to please Housekeeper Gaytha. "Well, Cook will be happy to have the help. Most of the new Chosen we get know only about eating, not cooking."

They passed through huge double doors and Onie recognized the Collegium hallway. They went into the stairwell again and Onie felt a flutter of queasiness that vanished as soon as they descended the stairs going down. There was a door at the base of the stairs and they entered a small, narrow room with whitewashed walls and a high window for light over a desk with what looked like accounts books neatly stacked on one side.

"Now, this is my office. If you are going to be down here all the time, I expect that you will only enter it when you are invited."

Onie nodded solemnly. "Yes, Ma'am," she vowed. She was neither sneak nor thief and earnestly wanted Housekeeper to know that.

The elderly woman nodded and led Onie out again on a tour of the downstairs of Herald's Collegium. The largest place was the kitchen in the middle. It was more thanfour times the size of what Onie had been used to at the Ox and Cart, and that was just the open working area. Side doors led to whole rooms of stores. There were separate tables for cutting food, rolling and kneeding bread dough, big mixing vats for batters, pots and griddles on cast iron stoves and a large roasting pit. And there was real city plumbing and big metal boilers for hot water. There would be no hauling buckets of water from the river here.

A couple of bored Herald-Trainees watched them curiously over a growing pile of peeled roots and carrots until the Cook, a broad-shouldered woman named Tamira wearing a white apron told them to mind their tasks. She had thick heavy arms, a square body, bushy dark eyebrows, hair covered with a white scarf and if Housekeeper hadn't used the word 'she' Onie would have been hard-pressed to decide if Cook was a man or a woman. The Housekeeper introduced them and Cook gave her a warm enough welcome, especially after hearing about her experience, but she was taken aback when she found out that Onie would actually be living downstairs.

"Well, she cannot stay here. All the space in my kitchen and stores is taken."

Housekeeper agreed that a kitchen was not a suitable place for anyone to sleep in while Onie held her tongue though she covetously eyed the stone floor around the kitchen's enormous hearth. They moved on down the hall and saw whole rooms full of food stores plus more rooms with shelves stacked with linens, blankets, pillows and towels. Other rooms had spare furniture for both the classrooms and dormitories, supplies of chalk and whole crates of candles, parchments, boxes of ink and quills, everything needed for living and scholarly work in mass quantities. Nearly all the rooms had windows to allow in enough daylight from above to see by, but there were wall candles with glass coverings in the hallways as well as lanterns that could be carried. The entire downstairs of the Collegium was one big cellar with many rooms under the building and only enough of it above ground to allow in the light from the windows set high in the walls.

Housekeeper kept opening doors and then shaking her head at the contents. In one room, stacked floor to ceiling with labeled shelves, while her guide went to some back rooms, Onie looked up and down at the gray uniforms, pants, under-tunics, tunics, vests, cloaks. And further down were shelves stocked with white cloth piles, all sorted by gender and size. Onie felt weirdly like she was standing amidst the outer coverings of every Herald in the kingdom, as if the clothes were standing there empty, ready to uphold the Queen's justice. But all those uniforms were for Heralds and Heralds-in-training. Onie still had trouble with picturing herself amoung their ranks..

Finding none of the back rooms suitable, Housekeeper shook her head with a sigh and they headed for the door.

On either side of the kitchen, there were two laundry rooms, one for the girls' and one for the boys' dormitories, each one dominated by a huge pile of gray clothes directly under the chute outlet in the ceiling above. A big wheeled cart and huge tubs stood empty next to the wall under pipes with closed water outlets. Big as they were, Onie did not think the tubs were large enough to do all that laundry. She mentioned this to Housekeeper, but she just chuckled.

'Oh, no, dear. We only do washing here if we're snowed In in winter. We use the carts - after anything that needs mending has been taken out - down the hall. The door at the end connects to the Palace where it's combined with theirs and the laundry from Healers' and Bardic and it's taken to the washing sheds by the river."

Onie pictured mountains of laundry containing all the undergarments of every Herald, Bard and Healer in Valdemar, plus the Queen's and all her Court. Was that mountain of soiled linens any more special than any other one in the city? Or was it just a huge pile of dirty laundry? Onie supposed that it was just another mountain of work for the people scrubbing it, though she had heard that city folk used big tubs with cranks to make the work faster.

"And you are not allowed to go through that door to the palace unless you have a reason to go there, either."

"Aye." Onie nodded back. The older woman narrowed her eyes, then looked at the laundry tubs, then back at Onie.

"Well, I don't really care for this, but it looks like one of those tubs is going to be the only place where you're going to be able to get a daily bath." She made a sour face. "But I suppose it's better than putting you in the sinks with the dishes."

Onie just shrugged. "At home, we used a washin' tub half that size fer three of us standin' 'round it. An no hot water, too."

"Well, I'll see about having a screen brought in here, so you don't have to worry about anyone walking through while you're taking your bath." Housekeeper shook her head and they moved on.

There were water closets downstairs, one across the hall from the each of the two laundry rooms. And next to each of those was a mending room. Housekeeper opened a door to one. It had two high windows above a whitewashed wall with a long table and chairs under the light. By the door and along one wall were shelves with wooden boxes with a few stray spools of gray thread and scraps of fabric by them. There were bins on the floor full of Herald-Trainee clothes that needed mending. And left of the door was a fireplace so anyone working in the room in winter could keep warm, but the large wood rack next to it was mostly empty with little need for it in summer.

Going to the fireplace, Onie knelt and put her hand on the gray stones at the base. They were cool under her hands, and formed a slightly lighter gray rectangle of stones on the smooth gray floor. The fireplace above her was made of evenly cut blocks of simple, unpolished stones. Touching them felt exactly like laying her hands on the hearth in her parents' house, like home. She stood and turned back to Gaytha.

"This'll do. It's perfect."

* * *

**- - - End Part 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 3**

* * *

Onie followed Herald-Trainee Hooli up from the downstairs of the Collegium to the first floor, picking up her new gray split-skirt as she went. She was dressed entirely in new clothes, save for her old shoes; because the boots needed to be made for her specially. But she had four complete changes of clothing on the shelves of her new room downstairs, more than she had ever had back in Fair Fields. There were shirts and tunics in summer and winter weights, knitted hose and undergarments and real nightgowns made specifically to be worn to bed and not just patched and cut-down, worn-out day dresses. She had a choice of breeches or split skirts. The breeches were obviously for riding, but since she hadn't worn pants since she was a girl before her hips curved out, she picked out a skirt to wear. Breeches would take a little getting used to.

"Do ye greet all tha new ones?" Onie asked. Hooli looked nervous, probably expecting her to be sick again.

"Oh, no!" The young girl almost jumped when Onie spoke to her. "Um, . . . there's always somebody to greet the new ones and Herald Corson asked if I would this time. Sorry you weren't feeling well," she added, embarrassed.

"Ye didna have ta clean up afters me, did ye?"

She just shrugged, her cheerfulness returning. "It's no trouble. I get bathroom duty all the time. I'm no good at sewing and Cook wouldn't trust me with anything more than chopping vegetables, so I do a lot of cleaning. Will all your chores be downstairs then?"

Onie nodded and told her about Housekeeper showing her around and one of the mending rooms now being hers. Not wanting to put anyone out, she had told Gaytha that it was fine if they continued to do the mending in her room. After all, she slept in the main room of her parents' home where people did all the mending, cooking, cleaning and every other household task. But the Housekeeper would not have it. Onie was to have a private room like every other Trainee, with a lock on the door, a desk, a chair, bookcase, wardrobe and bed, even if she didn't ever use bed. The mending work table and supplies would go out to the room with the laundry pile, where she would also take her daily bath in one of the washing tubs.

A giggle burst out of Hooli before she clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes suddenly fearful, but Onie gave her a forgiving smile.

"Jus' hope they don' take me out with tha wash." They both laughed together over that. But the talk of her new room reminded Onie of something.

"I brought me bedroll and things on Lillis's saddle, an' I don' know where they might be now. Housekeeper though ye might know."

"Oh, they brought it up to your room. I mean, the one we were going to give you. I'll bring it down while you're talking with the Dean."

"Thank-ee."

They reached Dean Teren's office in the palace. Hooli rapped on the door, Teren yelled out, 'Come in!' and they entered. In a chair before the desk, looking very small, sat young Saston. He was now scrubbed clean, his brown hair still damp wavy ropes around his face. The baggy gray uniform tunic he wore hung down to his knees and the sleeves and cuffs of his pants were rolled up. Teren cheerfully waved them in.

"Ah, good, come in. Thank you for your help, Hooli, that will be all." The young girl gave Onie a quick smile and left, closing the door behind her. Onie sat down in a second chair next ot Saston.

"Now, Onie here's your schedule." He handed her a long parchment. "I want you to look it over and let me know what you think."

Whoever had written it had a very tidy and neat hand. Some things were every other day, some things every day, though there was a note about days off for festivals and holidays at the bottom. The every other day things seemed to be the classroom learning, history, geography, artificing, Valdemar law, courtly graces and others. The every day things were weapons work and riding. Morning meal was early; there was a candlemark break after it and midday meal, with other breaks depended on that day's classes and no classes after the evening meal.

"It looks fine ta me, Sir." Onie nodded though she did not think her approval was required. She was there to be a Herald and whatever they asked, she would do.

Teren seemed pleased. "Now, in addition to that we have an Orientation class, but we've got a few more Companions on Search out and we're holding it. We're hoping that they'll be back soon, so we can start you all together. I'll let you know about that in a few days. But in the meantime we have just enough time to get you over to the Weaponsmaster before midday meal."

They left the office, Teren quickly leading them through the halls with Onie tucking her parchment into a side pocket of her skirt. Saston didn't seem to have one, but he easily could have been too young to have been taught his letters yet. Going outside, they passed the stable on their way to a long low building It was nearly empty inside except for wooden benches and storage cabinets set in the walls. Sunlight came in from high windows above and floor to ceiling mirrors along the walls made the building look bigger on the inside than it should have been. Pairs of people spared with padded weapons or threw each other down on heavy pads laid out on the worn wooden floor; the sounds of grunts and occasional shouts echoed around the empty space. Onie wrinkled her nose at the smell of sweat, metal, leather oil and soap.

Teren led them around the perimeter to a slender woman in dark gray leather and heavy cloth. Frowning, she watched a pair of men, one in pale blue, one in Herald-trainee gray going after each other with long poles padded at the ends. Teren stopped and they waited until the match ended when the Herald-trainee delivered a series of quick blows followed by a sweep that took his opponent's legs out from under him. After a few words about the merits of their fighting skills, she sent them on and turned to Teren, who introduced them. The woman was Captain Kerowyn, also a Herald, despite her non-white clothes, and she was taking the morning classes while Weaponsmaster Alberich was giving some of the advanced students some special training.

With a reminder to Saston that Rodie would meet him at midday meal and take him to meet his teachers and to Onie to visit Healer's Collegium after the meal and before her first riding lesson, Teren left them with Kerowyn.

The Captain had golden blond hair, tied back in a long braid and her striking features radiated strength. She started with Saston who shyly stepped forward and jumped and hit when she asked and then ran around the room as fast as he could when she told him to. That did get a smile out of her. Then it was Onie's turn.

"You're starting a little late in life. I can tell you're not a fighter, wearing that." She gave Onie's skirt a dirty look. "What do you know?"

"Nothin' like what I sees here. Never been in na fight. Some women guards showed the womenfolk in Fair Fields some things ta do if a man grabs her when she don' want, but I've never had call fer tha use." She lifted her head, standing tall as she spoke.

Herald Kerowyn scowled. "Well, I hope that you're smart enough to know that a Herald _does_ have call for it and a lot more. Let's see what you _can_ do." She went to the wall and picked out a padded stick the length of a short sword with a handle. She held it up. "Take this away from me."

Onie stared back at the woman, an obviously well-trained fighter. She wanted to say she couldn't do it, because that was plain, but it was equally plain that she was expected to try. Going to the pile of equipment she picked out the longest, biggest padded stick there was. And on a whim, she grabbed a helm and put it on. She didn't bother with any of the other leather armor in the pile, though she knew she needed them. They all had lots of leather straps that she did not know to use and she was pretty sure that she didn't have time to figure them out. The straps of the helm dangling down, hands both firmly on her 'sword' she turned around to face Kerowyn, who now had a feral grin on her face. The woman nodded for her to begin.

Onie swung for the arm holding the short sword. She may never have been in a fight, but she did remember the most important things the guardswoman taught the women back in Fair Fields. One of them was to always get a bigger weapon than your attacker had if you could lay your hands on one, and always aim for your opponent and _not_ the weapon in their hands. If she could land a good blow to Kerowyn's wrist or arm, perhaps she would drop her weapon.

Her plan might have worked if Kerowyn had not moved, which she did with alarming swiftness. Kerowyn blocked her swing, the short sword whirling back around at Onie. One whack knocked the helm off, two more smarted on her shoulder and hip and she lost her own 'sword'. Then the end of Kerowyn's weapon jabbed at her middle. Onie grabbed it and dropped, hoping to pull Kerowyn down, but the other woman let go.

"Well, that might have worked. If you weren't already _dead_." Hands on her hips, Kerowyn stood over her. "But at least you showed me you _can_ learn and you don't need to be told to grab a weapon and protection when you need them." That feral smile returned. "I can do something with you two. See you tomorrow."

A bell rang and immediately all the fighters in the room stopped or at least slowed down. Kerowyn shouted orders about them putting their equipment away. Saston slid down off the bench he was sitting on and he and Onie left, going back to the Collegium for noon meal.

"You going to school, too?"

Onie nodded back to the boy. "Aye, me, too. They found shoes fer ye?" Saston's footsteps slapped on the path.

"Yeah," he answered with a sour face. "And socks to make them fit. I don't like them. But they say I have to wear them."

"Ye never see a barefoot Herald." That got a giggle out of Saston and she smiled, too. "I gots ta wear mine 'til they gets better fer me. They say they'll be gettin' better fer ye?"

Saston nodded.

When they got to the Collegium, Saston went straight to the door upstairs and held it open for her. She shook her head.

"I gots ta eat downstairs."

Looking a little confused, Saston went upstairs. Another two boys, teenagers came in and ran up the stairs after him. Sighing, Onie went down the hall, past the doors into the classrooms. They were shut, but with only the sound of emptiness behind them. She went down the center stairwell to the kitchen which was awash with good smells and Onie's stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had only had trail food early that morning with Lillis impatiently waiting to be off to Haven. And she had lost that when she got sick, too.

Cook and three Trainees were pulling on ropes, winching up pots of food to the common room above with the dumb waiter. There were more platters and pots waiting and Onie offered to help. But Cook impatiently waved her off that she didn't know how and there were plenty of hands there already. So, Onie stepped back.

The kitchen was full of the smells of lunch with much more diverse offerings than Onie had ever served up at the Ox and Cart, bread, stew, buttered potatoes, sliced ham, cheese, boiled and fresh greens, fruit, berries. It was a feast by her standards, but just every day fare for the Heralds.

Looking about, she spied a side table with platters and bowls of food along with plates and cups and utensils. She went to stand by them, but did not sit down, waiting for the others to finish. When all the food had gone upstairs, Cook went to a storeroom while the Herald-Trainees joined Onie.

"Isn't Cook going to join us?" Onie asked, reluctant to sit down yet.

"Oh, she never eats with us." One of the older boys pointed. "She always eats in her office." He started to say something more, then seemed to think better of it. The other boy served a plate for her.

"Thank-ee." She sat down. The food was good and filling. As good as anything she'd ever made. Better, she had to admit privately. She introduced herself to the others. The first boy was Edos Nyleton, "Nyle"; he was nineteen years old with thick curly brown hair that grew down below his ears and a few wiry hairs on his chin. The second boy was Borum Cylittle and looked at least five years older than his eighteen years; he had dusty blond hair with bangs hanging over blue eyes. The third was a tall girl, Nord Flowers; she was fourteen with long reddish-blond hair tied in braids.

They were all friendly, but for the first few minutes they just sat together putting food in their mouths. Until Borun paused and looked straight at Onie.

"Was that your Companion the one who came into the Collegium?" He grinned.

She sighed. "Aye. She was worryin' 'cause I wasna feelin' well. I'm guessin' tha most Companions don come inside much."

They all grinned back. "I don't think a Companion has _ever_ come inside the Collegium." Nord sounded very impressed. "But are you feeling better now?"

"Oh, Aye." She explained about her Ground Gift and her problems with it. Nyle confidently predicted that the Healers would sort it out. Onie agreed and privately sighed that even though he was eight years younger than her, he was still one of the senior Trainees at the Collegium.

She told them about what Herald Sterens and Vern said about her Ground Gift and about being sick and more about Lillis coming in and getting into the stairwell. Nyle had been in a History lesson when they heard the Companion clip-clopping down the hall. The instructor, Herald Ungran, had gone out to look and the class just followed him.

"That's the only thing they'll be talking about upstairs in the Common Roon," he assured her.

Onie didn't know if that was such a good thing, since she couldn't be up there herself to tell hers and Lillis's side of the story. Borum and Nyle assured her that they would do it for her and they seemed trustworthy enough to do so. There was refreshingly no lie in them, but they were Herald-Trainees after all.

When she finished eating, she took her dishes to the washing tub. She offered to help clean up but Cook told her that she already had enough hands to do their chores and that she would have plenty of dishes to wash in the future. Sighing, Onie asked them where Healer's Collegium was and how she could get there.

* * *

**- - - End Part 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 4**

* * *

"Now just stay there for another minute," Healer Luba told her.

Onie gripped the bannister in the stairwell in Healer's Collegium hard even though Luba was right behind her. Three other Healers stood at the foot of the stairs, watching. Onie's new clothes now felt stiff, confining and too warm, as if she were coming down with a fever and if she let go her hold she would topple forward and her head would land right on the edge of a stair. Luba's warm hands on her shoulders steadied her.

"Now," Luba said to the others, "come and help her down."

Two of the three came up, an older man and a young woman, and put their arms around Onie and they descended, one step at a time. She gratefully accepted their support and just like in the Collegium, when her foot touched the floor she felt like someone had just opened a windwo to let in some fresh air. The third Healer, a balding man with big thick hands, laid one of them on Onie's shoulder as Luba came down the stairs.

"There, do you feel it?"

The balding man's eyes widened with surprise. "You're right! It goes right up through her feet."

"To the top of her head," Luba finished proudly. "She's not just thinking herself sick with worry about being high up. She really gets it for not having her feet on the ground."

The young woman with pale blond hair nodded. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. It's not just earth-sense is it?"

Luba dismissed that. "That doesn't make people sick, Derrie. This isn't a real Gift; she doesn't have any control over it. It's more like her nature."

The balding man seemed doubtful. "There has to be some thinking there. She's not truly on the ground itself, just level with it. There's another floor below this."

Onie sighed and stepped back from amongst the little knot of Healers. Really warming up to their new discovery, they did not seem to notice. She was actually glad that the Healers were so enthusiastic, like they were on her side. She was also glad that she had told them about her weak eyes straight off before they started experimenting on her Ground Gift. They tested her for spectacles first; they would be ready for her next week. Two pairs, too. Heralds were expected to see right.

A bell sounded and Onie realized that she needed to go to Companion's Field. Riding class. She broke into the Healers' spirited discussion to excuse herself. They looked disappointed but accepted that she had other places to be. Luba promised to see her later.

Hurrying out of Healer's Collegium, she jogged to the east, past the training salle on one side and Herald's Collegium on the other. Ahead was the fence around the Collegiums and the Palace and beyond that . . . .

. . . . Companions Field. She slowed, but kept going. To get to it, she would have to cross one of the stone bridges over the Terilee River. Passing through the fence gate, she slowed to a quick walk. She wasn't late . . . yet.

Onie knew she hated bridges. She couldn't really swim and she had always avoided the few wooden bridges over the small creeks and rivers near Fair Fields.

The bridge looked solid, a wide stone lane arching over the Terilee. Onie's eyes swept down to the rushing water below and she could so clearly picture all that solid stone suddenly giving way and falling to the water below and taking anyone on it down with it.

Onie had fear dreams (though no more than anyone else) about two things, falling and drowning. Drowning was, in a way, a form of falling, but with no air. Bridges combined both of these possibilities.

White flashed over the green of Companion's field and even before it resolved itself into the recognizable shape of a Companion, Onie knew it was Lillis. Unbridled and unsaddled, she galloped over the bridge, coming to a stop on Onie's side. She lifted a hand to her Companion's cheek and then sadly over to the lush green grass on other side of the river. Lillis nodded, her blue eyes sad.

Onie had to cross that bridge. What kind of Herald would she be if she couldn't even cross this one in the middle of Haven?

"I know. I'as gots to do it."

Lillis bent her knees, lowering herself to the ground, so Onie could climb onto her bare back. She wound her hands tightly into the silky white mane and pressed her knees into Lillis's sides.

"Jus' make'er quick."

Lillis wheeled around.

Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.

Though her hooves chimed soundly on the solid stone, Lillis might as well have taken flight; Onie felt as if she was suspended in air above the river, her death grip on Lillis's mane the only thing keeping her from falling. It was as bad as it was when Lillis tried to run. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Then Lillis's hooves hit solid ground and Onie felt it go through her with a steadying jolt. No longer feeling as if she was about to slide off Lillis's back with the slightest breeze, Onie still stayed down, eyes closed as Lillis quickly trotted a distance across the field and came to a stop.

Opening her eyes, Onie saw a Herald in white. He was a man with dark hair and broad shoulders, but he wasn't close enough for her to see much more than that. She let go of Lillis's mane, giving it an apologetic stroke and slid down to the ground. Straightening her gray split skirt, she saw that she was not the only Herald-trainee. There were four others, two teenagers, a young girl who looked about ten, along with young Saston. Their Companions stood behind them, all saddled and bridled. Onie cringed; she had not even thought about going to the stables first before coming. One of the teenagers, a boy with pale hair, openly snickered at her. The other teenager, also a boy, joined him and the girl, after a moment of uncertainly, did as well. Saston looked upset, but stayed frozen in place.

Putting her hands on her hips, Onie glared back at them. The derisive laughter faltered before dying out. She glared at each Companion, too, one at a time. She knew she was the worst rider in Valdemar, but she would not put up with anyone poking fun at it, certainly not from children. And being Chosen, they and their Companions were supposed to know better, too.

She turned to the Herald, and gave him an abbreviated curtsy.

"Onie Thatcher, Sir. Sorrys we's late, an got no saddle, but it's me tha slows Lillis down."

The Herald nodded. "Well, it is your first day and I'm told not the usual for our new arrivals. I'm Herald Ezor. This is Miran." His Companion bobbed his head.

Onie and the others listened to his introduction. She and Saston were the two who had arrived that day. The ten year-old girl and one of the teenagers, the one who had started the snickering, had only been at the Collegium for a few weeks. The other teenaged boy was Herald Ezor's assistant, Herald-Trainee Cheeter (Companion, Thad);. They were to train with their Companions, not just in riding, but to learn to work as a team. After the introductions - - the other teenage boy was Dirk (Companion, Zorrad) and the young girl was Slatha (Companion, Elleed) - - the class started with an uncomfortable question for Onie.

"I understand that you can't ride Lillis unless at least one of her feet is on the ground?" He did not say anything about her falling off, thought Onie could see in his face that he knew all about it, probably from Miran, if not directly from Lillis. Grateful for his discretion, she nodded.

"Aye, Sir. I was hopin', maybe, tha' I could learn diff'rent from ye, Sir."

He nodded appreciatively. "Well, I'll have to admit that I've never heard of such a thing and I don't know of anyone who ever has. Perhaps you and Lillis could show us what happens when she gallops with you riding?"

With a stamp of her foot, Lillis snorted her refusal and Onie felt a sting of teary gratitude for it.

Herald Ezor looked surprised for only a second before he turned to the others. "All right, we'll move on to the lesson then." He looked to the others. "Saddles and bridles off. We're going to see what all of you can show me, bareback."

They all took the tack off their Companions; Dirk gave Onie a cross look which she ignored.

Their first challenge was Ezor's order that they all mount. But he did not tell them how they were supposed to do it. Just as Lillis had already done for Onie, the Companions took the lead. Dirk was big enough to grasp Zorrad's mane and spring up on, but Elleed had to kneel down for Slatha just as Lillis did for Onie. Saston was so small that Capar practically had to lay down on the ground and then roll back up and onto his feet with his Chosen grasping his mane, clinging to his back like a burr.

Obviously just wanting to see how they would do, Ezor and Cheeter watched. When everyone was mounted both instructor and assistant lightly sprang up onto their Companions's backs with ease.

Ezor and Miran stood before them. "Now let's see what you can do."

With Cheeter and Thads' help, they formed a large circle, slowing trotting around Ezor who began calling out directions to them. 'Move with your Companion', 'Sit up straight', 'Balance', 'Knees'. Miran gave direction, too. Onie could not hear the Companions mindspeaking, but it was obvious to her that some communication was going on between them. She narrowed her eyes toward Miran, but Lillis did not seem to be singled out for any more direction than the others. And she realized that if they were all relatively new to being Chosen, then the Companions were just as new to carrying any rider at all.

It turned out that Onie's days long journey to Haven was paying off. Ezor announced that she had the most natural seat and told the others to watch her, though Dirk did so with a sour expression. Even better, without a saddle between her and Lillis, the riding felt more natural, too. Onie imagined that she could feel the ground through Lillis's hooves.

They paraded around their instructors, with Cheeter and Thad coming up alongside each of them to show what they needed to do, until Ezor was finally satisfied. They stopped and faced Ezor and Miran again.

"Now, we're going to see how you do at a gallop and with a few low jumps." To her great embarrassment Ezor pointed at Onie. "You just sit this one out for now and watch. We'll work out how we'll do this part of your training later."

Lillis backed up out of the way while the others took their turns at running up and down the field under Ezor and Miran's direction, with Cheeter and Thad sometimes running alongside the students. Onie saw eager grins on the faces of all the riders, even little Saston, the smallest student mounted atop the largest stallion. Stroking Lillis's neck, Onie knew she was as good as hobbling her Companion by not being able to stay on if she ran.

After the running, their group moved to an area in Companion's Field of well-worn ground, fences and hedges, obviously a training area. Again, Ezor excused Onie and Lillis from the activities and again Onie felt the sting of embarrassment about needing to be left out. Lillis turned one big blue eye toward her in assurance that they would be able to run and jump eventually. But Onie did not want reassurances; she badly wanted something for the present.

Her eyes settled on the lowest hedge there. It was more a trip hazard than an actual hedge. Lillis could easily step over it, but she could jump it, too.

"Got something in mind?"

Cheeter and Thad had sauntered up alongside and they had obviously seen her eying the low hedge. The others were briskly galloping up and over short hedges and fences under Ezor and Mirans' direction. Onie pointed.

"I can do that."

Lillis's head turned, one critical eye looking back. Onie leaned toward her ear. "It'll be jus' like tha bridge. An we gotta start somewheres. Can't have no Herald an Companion tha canna run."

Lillis's blue eye went to Thad and Cheeter. Thad's ears swiveled in an uncritical way. In fact, Thad seemed to treat Lillis in exactly the same way as he did the other three student Companions, for which Onie was grateful.

Lillis nodded and she walked away from the lowest hedge and turned around. Onie firmed her grip on Lillis's mane as she quick-trotted toward the hedge. Then for one horrible second that grip was her only connection to her Companion. The next second she came down hard on Lillis's back, but her knees automatically clamped down, she bent forward so as much of her as possible was in contact with Lillis's back, so there was no danger of her sliding off. But that seemed to be the best Onie could say about her performance. Her hand apologetically

stroked Lillis's neck.

"Hmmm, that's a good start." Ezor and Miran had replaced Cheeter and Thad who were trotting back to the others. Ezor waved a hand toward the low hedge. "Go again."

Gritting her teeth and grabbing on tight, Onie nodded as Lillis got into position on the opposite side of the hedge, trotted forward and made the jump. It felt even more like a leap over a huge chasm the second time and she came down on Lillis's back just as hard. A little shaky, she straightened as Lillis returned to the equitation instructors.

"You're losing your seat as soon as her hooves leave the ground. Try it again, but this time concentrate on moving with your Companion. Don't worry about form; take whatever position is most comfortable for you," he told her. Miran gave Lillis an encouraging nod. They went back to the opposite side of the hedge.

_Well, if he says so._

Grasping mane again, Onie leaned forward, her stomach and breasts touching Lillis's neck as she trotted toward the hedge. The vertigo of leaping over a bottomless chasm was still there, but this time, she really felt like there was something under her this time, supporting her. When Lillis landed there was no jolt and Onie realized something else that was much more important. Lillis loved to run and she loved to jump. Onie could feel it in the tension and release of her muscles under her; it was pure joy.

So, when Lillis stopped and Ezor called for them to do it again, Onie leaned forward to not only jump again, but to do it better. She _had_ to learn to do this. And she _could_ do it. With each running jump, Ezor told her to sit further back. Lillis's rigid trot turned into a loping gait, not a gallop, but closer to running than walking or trotting. The terrible weightless feeling at the jump point never went away, it became less of a problem. Onie lost count of how many time she did it, but she was sitting up properly by the time a distant bell told them that their riding class time was over. Ezor seemed pleased as he sent them on ahead to the stables, and Miran gave Lillis an approving nod. The others stayed to put their saddles back on.

Contented, Onie rode Lillis over the field, not at a trot, but with her very gentle, slow gallop, but her Companion slowed when they approached the bridge. Onie leaned forward.

"Keep goin'. T'will be jus like tha hedge."

Lillis's pace increased, her hooves chiming on the short stone approach to the bridge. Onie took deep breaths.

It was just like the hedge, but much worse. Vertigo fought with her sense of her legs clamped over Lillis's sides, her tight grip on her mane. She kept her eyes forward, on the solid ground ahead, but all she could think of was how far away it was, and how fast and deep the Terilee River was just below them.

Her stomach was just beginning to rebel when Lillis's hooves touched solid ground, the chime in her step striking a reassuringly lower tone. Onie let her breath out for the first time since Lillis set foot on the bridge. The sigh felt wonderful. Lillis slowed to a walk as she headed toward the stable and went in the same door that she had gone through when they first arrived that morning. The stable boys came with buckets of water for Lillis and offered to give her a rub down, but Onie declined and asked for what she needed to do it herself.

Lillis had not been working out too hard and it wasn't too hot outside, so a quick wipe with a linen cloth dried off the sweat. Then Onie got to work on the grooming, starting at the front and working back. During her work at stable back in Fair Fields, an animal Healer had shown her how to massage a horse as well. Lillis wasn't a horse, but she had the same parts and on their long ride up to Haven, Onie had learned which things her Companion liked best.

Onie was less than half way done when the others from their riding class came in and tended to their own Companions. Ezor and the stable boys helped little Saston with Capar who was quite a lot of Companion for one small boy to handle. Capar bowed his head low so Sastno could wipe the sweat from his face.

Companions, Heralds and Trainees came and went while Onie worked and she was nearly done grooming Lillis to a sparkling white sheen when she noticed Dirk watching her. She ignored him at first, but he stayed, so she turned to him as she cleaned the grooming brushes with another one with metal bristles.

"Ye got somethin' ta say, have ye?"

He looked surprised to be spoken to, but only for a second. "Just wondering how you got Chosen?"

Lillis perked up her ears and turned her head toward him along with the boy's own Companion behind him.

Onie put her hands on her hips. "Well, yer honest, I'll give ye that."

He frowned stubbornly, but he did not seem hostile, just critical. "You can't ride. Who ever heard of a Herald who can't ride?"

"T'was ridin' back there, even if ye don see it that way. I jus needs more practice than some, that's all." Onie folded her arms before her. "An whats ye got ta be Chosen for?"

His mouth opened, but nothing came out and Onie renewed her question.

"Ye asks me. S'only fair tha I asks back."

"I've got Mindspeech," he admitted reluctantly.

"Ye gots Mind-Listening, too? If ye has, ye should listen ta Zorrad backs there an not be too quick ta judge another Trainee."

Dirk's Companion actually let out a little whinny of surprise, her blue eyes wide.

"Hey! You don't have any Mindspeech," Dirk complained. "I can tell!"

"Don need Mindspeaking to see what's obvious. I thinks yer embarrassin her now."

Dirk looked back toward his Companion. She tossed her head toward the door and they left, Dirk giving her a few wary glances over his shoulder. Onie put the grooming tools away. Lillis looked perfect and quite pleased with her little exchange with Dirk and Zorrad. Onie hugged her neck.

"I jus needs a bit more time ta learn tha ridin' bit."

Lillis bobbed her head; they would work on it together.

A noise from some other Companions nearby caught her attention. Miran and a stallion she did not know. Letting go, Onie looked from them to Lillis.

"Yer not known fer yer patience then arounds here."

Lillis shook her had in denial, but Onie knew that wasn't true. She smiled.

"We'll work on that, too."

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**- - - End Part 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

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**- - - Part 5**

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Mother,

I am in Haven. It took me a lot longer than usual to get to Haven on account I falled off the first time Lillis ran, but I was not hurt. And it was not Lillis's fault. I am really the worst rider in Valdemar. So, it took me a few more days than usual to get here. It is because of this Ground Gift they say I got. The dean of the Collegium is a Herald. His name is Teren and he said that they will look at my Ground Gift tomorrow.

They gave me all new clothes because Herald-Trainees only wear gray uniforms that look just like the white ones, except that they are gray. Trainees don't get the white ones until they become Heralds. They will also get me new Herald-Trainee boots and proper spectacles for my seeing, too.

I will be taking Collegium classes. They looked at my writing and I showed them about my figuring and because of my age, they think I might be able to be a Herald in maybe two years, but only if I do really good at learning what I need. Most of the new Trainees are a few years more than Sami's age, and they take four or five years at least. They cannot be Heralds until they are grown up anyways.. I will work very hard to finish as soon as I can.

I had my first riding class the first day and I think they can teach me to get used to it, but it will be a lot of practice. Lillis is the bestest help. She showed me how fast she can run and she loves it. I have to learn so we can do all the stuff we are supposed to and so she can run.

I met Timette in Kettlesmith on the way here and I hope she sent you a letter about it. Her children are much bigger than when we saw them last year and she has got another on the way. Cole has got a mouth on him and not much sense yet, but I guess he can still grow out of it.

Love, your daughter

Onie

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Essie

I arrived in Haven today. It is so much bigger than Kettlesmith. I saw a whole street of taverns in a lane as big as Fair Fields. And that was just one part. There are temples and shops and buildings with three stories that people live in. There are big houses where the highborn live as you get to the palace and the Collegium. But you cannot really see them on account of them high walls around them. That is just what I saw coming in. It's big enough for even me to get lost, but Lillis knew the way and she took me right up to the back door of the palace grounds.

I have seen the palace, but only the Herald's part of the inside. It is not very tall. It does not have any tall towers. I thought it would from the stories. I have only been inside the Herald's Collegium, where I will live. But I have to live in the lowest floor because getting up high on a second floor makes me sick. Much worse than when I ever got up on a box to get something from the top shelf in the kitchen or into the loft. Companion's Field is a wonderful green pasture, just like they say in the stories and it's a wonderful place for me and Lillis to practice in. She loves to run and she can go faster than birds can fly, so I have got to learn.

The Herald's Collegium does not have any servants except for one Cook and one Housekeeper. All the chores are done by the Herald-Trainees like me, when they are not taking classes or learning. I will get a lot of kitchen duty on account of it being in the basement and I cooked for you. There will be some mending and cleaning, too.

Love to you and Druin and Margo and Shanni and Maggi,

Onie

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Onie finished her last letter. Along with the letters for her mother and Essie, there was one for Dec, her brother and one for Timette. She planned to send one to Father Callus as well, but only after they said something more than what the Healers had about her Ground Gift.

She folded the pages up, wrote the names and Fair Fields (Kettlesmith for Timette) and sealed them with wax. She had been told by Hooli that she could give them to a Palace page to have them posted. She would do that when she reported to Dean Teren's office the next morning after breakfast. She laid them on the desk.

Whirling around in the chair, she alerted. There was a sound in the hall. People. Then a shy knock at the door. She pushed the chair back, the legs scraping on the hard floor, and went to open it. Four Herald-Trainees stood at the door. There was Nyle from lunch and Hooli, her guide from the girls dormitory, plus Dron Oldleaf, a very tall sixteen year-old who had been washing dishes in the kitchen after dinner. He had very pale green eyes, a pimply complexion and brown hair and was almost a head taller than Nyle. He reflexively ducked under the door frame as he came in. And among them was little Saston his big brown eyes begging a pardon for disturbing her.

"These guys wanted to see how you were doing," Hooli said by way of introduction when they were all in. There was an awkward silence until Dron nudged Saston into speaking.

"I wanted to make sure you was all right. Don't seem right that they put you down here in the dark."

Onie smiled down at the little boy's concern. "I'm not good with getting upstairs. Down here's is just right for me. Just like home."

Saston peered around doubtfully, but accepted her answer. The others looked about curiously. Along with the lantern on the desk there was also a lit candle in a holder on the wall and a lot of long black shadows. Her room was very dark with only a little moonlight coming in from the window high up on the wall. Housekeeper had insisted that she have all the same furniture that any other Trainee had. There was a bed (she could still sit on it even if she insisted on sleeping on the hearth stones) a desk, a chair, a bookcase, a wardrobe, all plain and sturdy furnishings, well maintained but obviously not new. Her old clothes were already in the wardrobe underneath her new gray uniforms. Would she ever be allowed to wear her old blue dress again? She was not sure.

Hooli had been very impressed with the size of Onie's room when she had visited before dinner. Without the long table and the and things for mending, it was more than twice as big as any of the usual Trainee rooms upstairs. Hooli hinted that Onie's room might be a good place for people to meet. Onie told her plainly that she wanted to meet people before she invited them into her room. Then she quickly apologized for being so abrupt, and that she was sure that all of Hooli friends were good people (they were training to be Heralds after all). Now Hooli looked embarrassed to be bringing people down so soon. Nyle and Dron were not so shy and enthusiastically complimented her on being assigned such a spacious room. Onie invited them to sit on the bed.

Her guests did not seem to know what to say, but Onie knew exactly what she wanted to ask the older ones. What were their first days like?

Hooli had been Chosen when she was 13. Her family came from a village in the north; they were wood-cutters and trappers and she had already shown promise of being Weather-wise, a very useful Gift in the mountains where a sudden winter storm and white-out could turn deadly. The people in the village heard Zyda's bridle bells before they saw the white companion plowing up the hill through knee deep snow in the bright cold sunshine. Dozens of people gathered in the village center to see the Companion enter the little cluster of buildings. Every family with children had hopefully pushed them forward and Zyda had solemnly looked over every one. Before she finally stopped at Hooli.

Her parents told her that the whole village cheered when she was Chosen, but Hooli didn't remember seeing or hearing anything but Zyda in that moment. They would have left right then, but Hooli's budding weather-sense told her that a storm was coming that even a Companion could not outrun. It was nine days before they could set out for Haven, for the storm to pass and for a path to be cleared to a main road. The whole village had helped dig the miles-long path so they could leave.

Nyle had been almost 12 when his time came. His father was a gamekeeper for the estate of a minor lord in the east. The armies of Valdemar had quartered there during the wars with Hardorn. Having lost his left hand in an accident when he was younger, Nyle's father was no good as a soldier, but he helped with scouting since he knew the land so well. Nyle and his older brothers and sister had helped out as well. And one of his brothers was still in the Guard now. His other brother had died in an ambush on the border. Nyle was too young for soldiering, but he helped out with chores in the camp. No one noticed the riderless Companion at first. There were at least a half-a-dozen Heralds who came and went with the army at any one time, so everyone was used to seeing the familiar white horses. But two Heralds coming out of a command tent had stopped and stared at the Companion in new and clean blue tack, silver bridle bells polished and jingling. And pretty soon everyone else was looking, too.

Nyle stopped chopping wood when the he saw the others with his group stop as well. When he turned to look, he saw Ress walking toward him, carefully stepping around the clutter of tools, barrels and and woodpiles. Then he heard his Companion's mind voice for the first time. Nyle had sunk to his knees with the wonder of it, Ress lowered his head to nuzzle his cheeks and their bond was complete. Nyle had been a quick study and done well in his studies at the Collegium, but when Magic came back into Valdemar, they told him he had a Mage Gift that needed to be trained, though after the Mage Storms, and so much Magic had been blown away in the mystical gale, it seemed that nobody was very sure about how Mages were to be trained now.

Dron Oldleaf was from Haven. His father had been a tanner, but Dron remembered him mostly for his drinking. His mother, too, always smelled of alcohol and none of the tavern owners would hire her again because she drank too much of their stock and pilfered beer for her husband, too. So Dron and his twin sister had been working since they were nine years old, when they had just enough letters and learning to fulfill the Queen's law. He as a stable boy, she as a kitchen drudge in a highborn household. Meeno simply trotted into the stable right behind the family carriage one day. Dron had just stared at the beautiful white Companion, admiring his flawless coat and gorgeous blue and silver tack.

Thoughts of being Chosen had not entered his mind until Meeno came to stand right before him, his head lowered, eye-to-eye. And then he was suddenly no longer a stable-boy. But Dron refused to leave without his sister, Aldi. Even Meeno could not convince him to leave without her. So they left the house of the highborn with Aldi sitting behind him in the saddle and crying her fear and gratitude. Meeno had told Dron that his sister could not be Chosen, but he was sure that a position as a kitchen drudge in the palace had to be a better than the place they were leaving. He had been right and she was now an apprentice shopkeeper in town.

Saston squirmed with worry during Dron's story and Onie knew why, so she prompted him to tell the others about his uncle and cousin. They all gravely listened to Saston's worries about his cousin being punished for sending him on his way with Capar so quickly.

"They said that my uncle said that Barro ran off and hasn't been back. They don't know where he is." Saston lowered his eyes. "Least I hope they don't know. Uncle Sev coulda already done something bad to him and lied to the Heralds."

Nyle, Hooli and Dron all assured him that someone could be sent the next day, and the day after that until Barro was located. Dron, in particular, emphatically promised that if Barro was truly not safe in his father's house then he would personally try to find some place for Barro.

That seemed to quiet Saston's fears and very soon after that they said goodnight before leaving. After they were all gone, their footsteps gone up the wooden stairs, Onie picked up a lantern and went to the water closet. Indoor privies were a city luxury that she liked and knew she would appreciate even more come winter. When she finished there, she went to her 'bathtub'. After dinner she had found a team of people in the laundry room called artificers cheerfully and noisily hammering on pipes and adding more of them so she could have hot water. They brought a black metal boiler with an oven-like opening where she would need to put in wood, but something had gone wrong and water was spilled. She helped them clean it up and assured them that she could wash with cold water until they got it right. They had at least erected a privacy screen for her. There was a basin with soap next to the tub and she just washed her hands and face.

Finishing there, she went back to her room. Since her own bedroll was still dusty from the road (she would clean it as soon as she could) she had made a new one from extra bed coverings and blankets that Housekeeper had given her, plus the pillow from the bed. It would all be put back on the bed when she got up every morning.

Putting the lamp on the desk, she turned it off. Then going to the wall candle, she blew it out, plunging the room into near total darkness. A couple of steps and her toes felt the end of the blankets. Kneeling, she got in between the blankets and sheets.

Lying on her back, staring up at the blackness, she listened. There were wind and night birds and insects and frogs not unlike what she heard in Fair Fields, but the creature sounds here were far away and not nearly as numerous. And there was something else . . . . an undefinable low rumble, barely audible, but present. It sounded large and it came from everywhere. What could be out there that could make such a noise without raising an alarm? What could get past all the houses and shops and streets and people . . . .

Onie realized that it was the sound of the city itself. The cacophony of all the carts, animals and people talking and working into the night . . . . it combined into its own distant grumbling voice. She never imagined that a place could have its own noise.

Staring up into the enveloping blackness, she could feel the solid stones under the padding of the blankets as if her body warmth reached down to them. It was like home. Special, but different from her parents' house, which now seemed so distant, Onie felt a tightness in her throat to think that it had been replaced so quickly. Her parents would be in bed, her sister Mec in her room, maybe sewing, her son, Onie's nephew up in the loft, reading from his learning books if there was a spare candle stub. What would they be thinking? Onie's eyes teared, thinking about how much she wanted to tell them that she was fine right away, instead of waiting for the letters on her desk to get to them. As much as she had wanted to leave the tedium of that tiny village where nothing ever happened, she finally realized that she had never wanted to lose it either.

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**- - - End Part 5**


	6. Chapter 6

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 6**

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Thoroughly miserable, Onie Thatcher stood in the stone chamber of the palace, waiting for the Mages and magic-users to pass judgment on her.

It had been a bad day from the start. She had gotten up before dawn, even before the early waking bell. Eager to start, she had washed up, quickly brushed and braided her long hair, donned her gray tunic and split skirt which she had brushed off and laid out the night before and hurried to the kitchen. One of her chores was to start the fires for the kitchen. Since she was going to be staying downstairs and she was experienced with kitchen work she might as well get everything ready, a plan that Cook had thoroughly approved of the evening before. But when Cook Tamira arrived, she had hardly glanced at the fires and heated ovens when she ordered Onie to go back to her room, take off those dirty clothes and wash herself properly. Stunned, Onie had looked down at herself, at the clothes she had only worn one day – only half a day in fact – and demanded to know what could be wrong with her clothes. Cook just told her that she was no longer an illiterate country bumpkin, she was supposed to be a Herald and that she could wash her dirty hair while she was at it.

That got Onie's temper up, and it wasn't just the criticism. She could tell right away that Cook had gotten out of the wrong side of the bed that morning. She didn't care what Cook was already angry about, but she despised it when people took their bad humor out on other people for no good reason. She stood her ground and told Cook that her clothes were perfectly tidy. And if she was supposed to be a Herald, who was Cook to order her around anyway? Tamira just told her that she might only be doing chores now, but Heralds were always expected to dress as if they were going to present themselves before the Queen herself.

The three young Herald-Trainees who were assigned kitchen duty that morning, none looking any older than fourteen, had walked into the middle of their confrontation and hastily back-stepped, fearful of the angry words between the two adults. Cook ordered Onie out of her kitchen and told her if she didn't leave and clean herself up property, some of the Heralds would be happy to do it for her. That gave Onie some pause. She had only been there for less than a day. And it was still Cook Tamira's kitchen. Fuming, Onie stormed out. Going back to her room, she threw off all her outer clothes and gathered up all new ones. Going to her tub, she scrubbed everything behind the shadow of the screen with soap and cold water as if it was a festival day. Then she had to go back to her room nearly naked because she had forgotten to bring towels with her. She did not care. If Cook saw her, then she would just invite her to see if she was clean enough now.

No one saw her. She dressed in all fresh clothes, plus her old shoes, re-braided her damp hair and went back to the kitchen. Even if she did not have kitchen duty, she did not have any choice. The kitchen was the only place where she could get breakfast. The room was filled with the aromas of biscuits and ham, cheese and fruit. Cook was busy with a pot of something while the three Trainees, well out of her way, loaded huge bowls and platters of food onto the empty dumb waiter. One of them pulled a cord and a second later the dumb waiter started moving up. Apparently it could be raised and lowered by the people in the common room upstairs.

On a sideboard, Onie saw a lone plate of food, biscuits, cheese, ham, fruit and a cup of water. One of the Trainees saw her and quickly pointed at it with a wary glance toward Cook who kept her back to them. Onie went there, sat down and started to eat. She turned her chair to the side, so that she could see the whole room. But Cook did not find any reason to look her way while Onie wolfed down her meal. She finished, tool her dishes to the washing tub, then grabbed a white apron from a hook and put it on. She joined the Trainees in what they were doing, chopping fruit, loading platters with fresh biscuits, filling bowls with butter and honey. Every time Cook finished something, a pot of porridge with raisins, a pan of biscuits, she would just put it aside, her back specifically toward Onie and one of the Trainees, a big boy whose shoulders were just beginning to fill out, would go and bring it to their work area. That just made Onie angrier. But she said nothing. The argument could not be settled now without putting the three other Trainees into it, along with disrupting breakfast. And while Cook might not care if her bad mood spilled all over everyone around her, Onie did. So, she would wait until it was just her and Cook and whatever had put Cook into such a bad mood.

The tension in the kitchen remained until Hooli came down to take Onie to see Dean Teren who had arranged some kind of evaluation of Onie's Ground Gift with the Mages. Leaving the tub of dirty dishes to the three Trainees, Onie took off her apron and put it back on its hook. If Hooli wondered why Onie took so much care cleaning her hands at the basin, she did not ask about it.

Then when Hooli led Onie to the palace to meet Dean Teren, Onie saw him with a palace page boy and she realized that she had left her letters to her family on her desk, she had been so upset by the fight with Cook.

Now Onie was faced with the realization that Cook Tamira had been absolutely right about every Herald being ready to present themselves to the Queen. Staring intently at her now was Valdemar's chief Mage, the Princess and Herald-Mage Elspeth. And while the Queen was not actually present, her Consort was. Prince-Consort Daren apparently had some kind of Earth-sense and watched from among the group of Mages, some Heralds, Herald-Trainees (including Nyle) plus a few foreign members of the court.

Princess Elspeth sighed and shook her head. "I don't see anything at all. Not a trace of any Gift. And she's not a Channel."

Onie had no idea what a 'Channel' was, but she didn't say anything about it while the groups discussed what they saw and mostly didn't see. Healer Luba was there and repeated what she had seen and she advocated putting Onie up on a tall stool. While Onie did not care for that, something more immediate got her attention. One of the foreigners, a man in a loose, blue-embroidered robe, with well defined facial features and surprisingly graying hair though he did not look much older than Onie, had come in after the others and was circling her. There was nothing threatening in his intense stare, but he was getting a little closer than she liked. She finally turned her head toward him. He startled, surprised. Then everyone else in the room did as well.

"You can see me?" he asked.

"Uuuh, aye." She looked down at his robe. It was not too bright or garish, but it was obviously foreign. "Hard not ta see ye, wearin' that."

The man looked at Elspeth. "That was my best glamour."

"Did you see him come in with us?" Elspeth asked.

"Uuuh, aye." This was some kind of test, but Onie had no idea what it could be.

Elspeth slowly raised her arm to her, then turned her hand so it was palm up. Onie looked at it while the people around Elspeth back up a step.

"Do you see this?" the Princess-Herald-Mage asked.

"Uuuuu . . . yer hand?" Onie knew there was more, something serious, but she just did not see it and had no choice but to say so.

Elspeth dropped her arm. Luba looked very pleased with herself. Apparently Elspeth had done some kind of scary magic that made everyone else in the room nervous.

"That's interesting," one white-haired foreigner in bright red and yellow robes with trailing sleeves, observed, setting off a discussion about whether magic worked on Onie. That was settled with a sudden flash and a bolt near Onie's feet. She jumped back and beat the smoking sparks off her breeches.

"Hey!"

The other people in the room erupted in objections as well. Luba had more than a few cross words for the white-haired foreigner who just shrugged and said that magic seemed to work fine around Onie; only illusions did not seem to work on her. Someone suggested that maybe it was only some kinds of illusions while others wanted to go on to the other 'tests' they wanted to try.

In the midst of that, Prince Daren came over to her. She hastily started to curtsy but he held up a hand to stop her.

"We're all just Heralds here, Onie. Would you like a seat, while this rabble sorts themselves out?"

He had a genuine smile and while older and gray-haired, she thought him every bit as handsome and manly as the Bards' songs said he was. Onie would owe Cook Tamira a big apology for objecting to her order for her to put on fresh clothes. Clearly, at least at the Collegium and the Palace, all Heralds and Herald-Trainees did need to dress every day as if it was a festival day. She gratefully accepted his offer and went to a side bench to watch the Mage discussion on the other side of the room.

"Are you getting along well here?" It seemed odd for the Queen's Consort to be making small talk with her, but it was a sincere question.

"Aye, everyone's been mor'n welcomin' since I got here, but . . . I've not had such a good mornin', Sir."

"I can understand that, not with this lot," he agreed with a smile. "Your Companion certainly caused a stir yesterday that got everyone talking."

Onie cringed. "Lillis was only worryin' fer me, Sir. She's not got in any trouble fer me I hopes?"

He shook his head with a friendly chuckle. "Companions can be a law unto themselves, sometimes. No, I don't think she's in any trouble, Onie. Even if they're a little young and impetuous."

The Mage discussion ended soon enough. They decided to try out the tests they had already planned. First they tested her ability to know when someone was lying by having every person in the room (and she knew none of them) say something about themselves. Onie picked out every lie, but when they asked how she could tell, all she could say was that the lies sounded wrong somehow. A head tilt, a twitch, a fidget; it was different for every person, but it gave away the lie every time.

"And you didn't see anything? No light, no aura, no magical signs at all?" a balding man in Herald whites asked.

She shook her head. "No, Sir."

The next test was outside. The foreigner in the blue-embroidered robe (his name was Darkwind) held up a gold coin and told her that three more had been hidden in an ornamental square of garden bordered by walkways on all four sides. She was supposed to find them.

"Uh, might take a little time, Sir."

He nodded and assured her that they had time. Onie walked all the way around the patch of garden, but there were not any coins on the edges. Stepping onto the grass between yellow and purple flowers and scented herbs, she went to the center and turned around. The first was so obvious, she wondered if it was a trick, but she went to the patch of grass and pulled up the bit of turf it was under. She could see the circular outline of where it had been cut and the coin was right under it. Carefully patting the grass back into place she stood, holding it up. From everyone's reaction, it seemed that it had not been such an obvious hiding place for them. She slowly spiraled out from the center, eyes on the ground, stepping carefully around the plants, but she did not find the second one until she spotted the obviously disturbed bit of ground under a green bush. Again, the observers were impressed. But when she finished her inspection, she still only had two coins. She handed them to Darkwind who retrieved the third from the thick foliage of a flowering bush.

Next, they told her that there were underground water pipes from the Terilee River to the palace. She was to find them. It wasn't anything that any Hedge-wizard or Wisewoman couldn't do, but it seemed to be important that she show them that she could do it. Slowly walking along a pathway that paralleled the river, Onie finally stopped when she had that feeling of water under her feet, as if her socks were wet. She told them about what she felt, but again, she did not see any light or aura. The Mages were increasingly surprised as she accomplished each task. Apparently they were supposed to see something when she did them, but didn't.

"Now, Onie," Elspeth instructed. "I want you to stand here and face me."

"Aye. Do ye wants me ta find anythin' else?"

"No, just stay there."

Nothing happened. People behind Elspeth looked to Onie's right, but she kept her eyes forward. Nothing happened for a little while longer.

"Onie Thatcher!" a voice shouted from a distance; it was the white-haired foreigner. "Come here!"

Onie's eyes darted to her right. She could see a red and yellow blur in the distance. Her eyes darted forward again.

"Do you want to go there?" Elspeth asked.

"Uuuuh . . . do ye wants me ta go there, Ma'am?" her pitch rose in confusion.

A grin slowly spread over Elspeth's plain and square face. "No. Just stay there."

"Onie Thatcher! Come here! Right NOW!"

Onie's eyes nervously darted to the side again. What could they be testing this time? Her ability to stand in one place? That hardly seemed to be something worth testing. The other Mages in the group were now grinning, too.

Finally, she heard the foreigner's footsteps returning toward them.

"It didn't work! I might as well have been trying to compel a stone! The geas went right over her!" He sounded quite vexed, though not angry. Onie did not know what a 'geas' was.

"That could be useful, if we could just figure out what it is," Herald-Consort Daren said quietly. The others seemed to agree. They also seemed to be very amused at the foreigner's frustration. But they were also impressed, which gave Onie a bit of relief. Finally Healer Luba got her turn and she had Onie climb up onto the pedestal of a statue of a very serious looking Herald in the garden.

Nothing happened.

Onie did not care for being up above the others, but she did not feel particularly sick from it. Luba was disappointed when Onie climbed down.

"I don't understand it. It was plain as day, yesterday . . . ." her brow furrowed for a moment under her dark curls. "Oh, I know what it is!"

She led the whole group inside and had Onie climb up onto the first staircase they came to. This time the dizziness and nausea came and when Luba finally let Onie come down, she heard exclamations of interest from the Mages.

"I saw that." the balding Herald said,

"Me, too," Herald-Consort Daren agreed.

"She was standing on stone outside," Luba announced, her round face all smiles again, "she's used to that. She sleeps on stone. It's as good as being on the ground for her. She draws strength from it." her mouth puckered in puzzlement, "but she's not using any magical channels that I can see. In fact . . . I don't see any channels at all."

That started a new hubbub among the Mages. Apparently, channels (whatever they might be) were important to magic. Onie lost track of where the discussion went; there were far too many words that she had never heard before. But she did wonder about what Luba had said about her standing on stone. The bridge that she had crossed over the Terilee to Companion's Field was made of stone. Did that mean that her problem was just nerves about being high up over the river? Maybe she could close her eyes? But she'd still be able to hear the water under her.

Daren ended the discussion by telling them that they needed to go on to the next test and they left.

Lillis and another two Companions were waiting for them. From the expressions exchanged between Daren and Espeth, the others were their Companions. Espeth had Onie mount Lillis bareback.

"They's testing us," she said to Lillis's perked up ear. She was pretty sure that the Companions had not been told what was wanted from them, but it was obvious to Onie. Even her short sight could spot that bright yellow and red in the same place it had been on her right. Elspeth ordered them to stand at attention and face her.

Nothing happened for a moment.

Lillis suddenly started to turn to her right. Onie dug her heels in, her legs tightening on Lillis's sides.

"Hey! Stay here!"

Lillis tossed her head and whinnied, upset and confused. Onie could feel it now. Lillis did not know what she was supposed to do, but it was suddenly VERY important for her to go to their right. The other two Companions trotted away toward the red and yellow figure. Onie bent low, her arms stretched out around Lillis's neck and dug her fingers in. "Hey!"

Lillis stopped going to the right, but still stamped her feet in place. Onie locked her gaze with one blue eye turned her way.

"Stay!" she urged. "Just stay here!"

Lillis nodded, but her whole body trembled with the effort and she still walked in place. Onie encouragingly stroked her neck. The Companion was breathing very hard, her large chest rising and falling under Onie.

Finally, some very annoyed neighs told Onie that both Espeth and Darens' Companions were very annoyed with being tricked like that. Lillis relaxed, letting out a long breath and shook her head. Onie sat up with a very satisfied smile.

Elspeth looked especially satisfied. Even without mind speech, Onie could see what the princess said to her Companion. _Oh, not so happy when it gets done to you?_ She didn't know what that refered to, but it seemed to be only a playful taunt between them.

Daren looked at least apologetic toward his Companion. But his hand went to his chin as he turned back to Onie and Lillis.

"That could be very useful."

* * *

**- - - End Part 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 7**

* * *

Onie washed her hands and face before heading for the kitchen for noon meal. But Housekeeper Gaytha spotted her and stopped her in the hallway.

"I understand that you and Cook had words this morning."

Onie nodded guiltily. "Aye, Housekeeper. We had words. An I's gots ta say that Cook was right as could be 'bout me washin' up proper. I had ta show meself afore tha Princess Elspeth an tha Prince-Consort this mornin' fer them an tha Mages ta look at me Ground Gift."

Gaytha's eyes widened. "Really? Did you do well?"

Onie nodded with some relief. "Aye. They seemed ta be pleased with what they saw. They's na sure what they's wants me ta do with it. But I's gots ta practice more and work on some of tha problems." Like not being able to run with Lillis or go up on the second floor of the Collegium without getting sick.

"Well, good, then. I'm pleased that you're getting along well." she held up a hand to stop Onie from interrupting. "Now about Cook. She had an argument with her sister last night. Her parents aren't well and she and her sisters are having trouble sorting it out. And she may well have been right about your attire, but she had no call for snapping at you. She has come in, in the morning, angry before. And snapped at me in the past." She huffed as if annoyed about the reminder. "And she knows better than to bring her problems in like that. Her family is a little complicated."

They were a lot complicated, Onie guessed. But it was not any of her affair. They went to the kitchen together. Gaytha called to get Tamira's attention. She came, a meat cleaver in her big hand. Gaytha loudly cleared her throat and Cook put it down before offering her apology.

"I should not have been so short with you about your clothes this morning. I know you're new here and not familiar with how we do things here at the palace and the Collegium."

It wasn't much of an apology as far as Onie was concerned, but she supposed it would do, especially if Cook kept her foul moods to herself from now on.

"Did ye's like the way I fixed tha fires fer ye this mornin'?" she prompted.

Cook looked surprised, as if she hadn't given that a thought. "Oh, yes, they were fine. I had everything I needed to cook with. I was late coming in and . . . it was a big help." Her voice got softer as she finished, realizing her lapse in even noticing what Onie had done right.

"Well, then, I'll be fixin' it that way t'morrow, too."

Cook nodded. And then pointed to where her plate was. Onie's kitchen duty was only for morning meals, but she still had to eat downstairs.

Gaytha smiled, wished them a good day, obviously pleased that the argument was settled.

Onie sat down at her meal with the Herald-Trainees who had kitchen duty that day, a freckled red-haired 15 year-old girl from the south, Swan Morenthallen, a brown-haired fourteen year-old boy, Clem Jorren, and a small black-haired twelve year-old, Myrus Kingly who seemed to be best friends with Clem. They did not say much until they were sure that Cook had gone into her office to eat after many furtive glances over their shoulders.

"You need to be careful with Cook," Swan warned. "She's a good person, but . . . she's a little temperamental."

Myrus and Clem made faces of disagreement.

"She's mean when she's angry. Don't do anything wrong or say anything back to her if she's banging pots or slamming doors," Myrus warned. Clem nodded emphatic agreement.

"She did apologize," Swan pointed out.

"Well, I'm na gonna ta pick no fights with Cook, but I'm of an age ta stand up fer me-self, too." Onie took a bit of roast pork and potato which were savory, salty and delicious; whatever might be bothering Cook, she was not taking it out on the food. "What makes'er angry?"

The other three Trainees shrugged. "I hear she has trouble at home with her parents, but I don't know what; they live here in Haven."

The rest of the conversation was agreeable enough. The others told Onie about their studies. She had hoped to start her book-learning that day. Onie very much wanted to see for herself just how much she needed to learn to be a Herald, and how far behind she really was with a Collegium full of youngsters. But just before she left for lunch, Prince Daren had told her that the Mages wanted to test her Ground Gift in the afternoon, too. Her classes would have to wait for the next day. So, after she finished putting her dishes in the tub, she went back upstairs to Dean Teren's office. He called for her to come in when she knocked. Inside, she found him with two other people. Another Herald, a smallish woman of middle years with only a touch of gray in her short curly chestnut hair. She was one of the people who had come to watch some of the morning tests, but hadn't stayed, so Onie did not think she was one of the Mages. The other was one of the foreign Mages. The first one that she had met in fact, that morning, the one in the blue embroidered robe, his sharp cheekbones well-defined in the light from a window in the office.

"Ah, Onie!" Teren turned to her. "I understand you met when your, uh, Gift was being examined."

She bobbed a curtsy. "Aye, we have, though not as though we'd exchanged names."

The woman smiled. The Mage raised his dark brows. "We weren't formally introduced. I am Darkwind of the Tayledras. And this is Herald Talia, your Queen's Own."

"Honored ta meet ya, Ma'am." Onie curtsied. She certainly knew who Queen's Own was from the stories and the Bard's tales. Again, she was glad that Cook had made her put on fresh clothes for the day.

Talia smiled back, surprising Onie with her own little curtsie. "Honored to meet a Chosen with such an unusual Gift." She gestured to the Mage. "Darkwind here is bond-mate to Princess Elspeth, and he is very intrigued with some of your abilities, even if we're not sure what they are."

"About those, we want to try another little experiment, Onie," Teren said as he stepped around his desk to stand before her. Talia watched from beside the desk; Darkwind moved to the other side of the cluttered office next to a bookcase.

"Aye." She nodded, standing up straight in front of him.

He fixed his eyes on her.

She waited.

He concentrated harder on her.

After another moment, he exhaled and looked to the others. "Nothing. It's not working at all. Do you want to try?"

Talia took his place and stared intently at Onie who alternated between staring back and averting her eyes, until Talia gave up as well.

She held her hands up. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

They were trying to do some kind of magic and a like the other attempts that morning, it wasn't working. This latest test was particularly mysterious and finally pushed Onie to ask what she had been wondering all day.

"Pardon, Sir, Ma'am."

"Talia, Onie, please." The Queen's Own corrected.

She continued without the 'Ma'am' but not the first name. "I'm wonderin' what tha tests're all for? I don' mind," she added, "but I don' know wha ye jus' did. Or wha it means. Or wha' I'm s'posed ta do next."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Onie, please forgive us." Teren apologized. "We're supposed to guide you in how to use your Gift. But we've never seen yours before, so we're not sure yet how we can help you with it."

"We wanted to see if the Truth Spell worked on you. It doesn't." Talia continued. "I take it that you've never had a Herald question you with it before?"

She shook her head. "No," she stopped herself from saying 'Ma'am', "I've never had tha need ta be called up fer tha law."

"They are fishing," Darkwind added, "because it is very difficult to teach someone about their Gift when you don't quite know what it is."

"Don' know myself. An it don' feel like no Gift so far."

Talia looked surprised. "Your Gift is very special and unique. You're not affected at all by magical illusion or compulsion. With magic back in Valdemar again, this could be very useful to us."

"The findin' things and listenin' ta what people mean jus' seems like common sense ta me, nothin' special. An I s'pose if a Mage comes afters me wantin' ta make me see or do somethin' I don' want, it'd be handy. But that don' happen ev'ry day. Right now, I can'ts go up stairs or cross a bridge withouts bein' full o' terror or sick. An Lillis can't run proper with me on'er back. She loves ta run, I knows she does." She lowered her eyes sadly. "I been thinkin' that I mights be able to get used ta it all after tha ridin' lesson yesterday, but I'll need a bit 'o practicin' ta see fer sure and I haven't got none today. An I'm startin' mighty late on my Herald Learnin' at my age." Onie hadn't really meant for all her worries to come out at once; she didn't mean to be a complainer, but it was the truth and it never hurt to let that out.

Talia came around the desk and took her hands, giving them a little squeeze. "You've done much better than I did when I first arrived. I was much younger than you and I didn't even know what Companion's Choice was and I was terrified the whole time."

Onie sadly smiled back "Aye, but at least ye had yer youth ta get yer Herald-Learnin' in. I don'ts knows when I'll even be startin'."

"Very soon," Dean Teren assured her, "as soon as we work out what this Gift of yours is."

"Didna know I even had it 'til Lillis came ta Fair Fields."

"Has she ever spoken to you? In your mind?" Talia asked.

"Once. When she first come ta say she Chooses me. But na since. Don' really need words ta know wha' she means."

Teren rubbed his chin. "So, a Companion can Mind Speak to you through a bond." His brows rose. "That's something. I'm just not sure what."

"Well, it is not magic." Darkwind folded his arms before him. "At least not any type I've ever dealt with. Shall we go to the next test?"

They all left the office. Talia excused herself to go on other business, but she took Onie's hands one more time before leaving.

"You've been wonderfully patient with all of this, especially on your first full day. I'm very sure that you'll do well. The Companions always Chose wisely."

"Aye," Onie agreed. They parted and she went with Dean Teren and Darkwind down the hall and outside without saying more. She did not want to be rude, but she supposed that everything that needed to be said had been said. One of her father's favorite sayings went through her mind, 'If ye don have nothin' ta say, ye don need ta tell nobody 'bout it.'

They walked out past the gardens toward Healer's Collegium and then turned right toward a smaller building beyond it. She supposed it was part of the Collegium, but she did not realize what part until they were closer and she saw the red colored figures resolve themselves into people in red robes. They were Bards.

Looking up at the building and then down at the entrance, Onie saw red-robed people coming up and down the steps. Most wore dull rust red robes. Trainees. But mixed among them were the bright scarlet robes of full Bards. Onie had only seen at most five Bards at one time at a big festival in Kettlesmith. Now there were dozens of them all around, equal numbers of men and women. She wasn't close enough to recognize any of them, not that she was any good with faces anyway with her weak eyes. But there were a couple she remembered because they had been to Fair Fields more than once. But she saw no women with long blond braids or short balding men who could be either Reanna Toshin or Blider Bobban.

Teren and Darkwind went up into Bardic Collegium and met a couple more Mages, one foreigner, one in Herald's whites from the morning tests and Onie followed, her eyes wide. Onie loved listening to Bards. She loved their songs and ballads, and the stories. She knew over sixty songs by heart. The one sour note to her job back in Fair Fields was that traveling Bards always preferred The Wolf's Head where the ale and the food was always better. The only time the Bards came to the Ox and Cart was when someone else was already performing at the other tavern.

The inside of the Bardic Collegium was different. It had similar wood paneling and classrooms, but they passed a lot of smaller rooms and much bigger ones with seats arranged around a central stage. Disappointingly, there was no music; everybody seemed to be going to and from classes though plenty of people carried instruments. One short woman in red calmly pulled a little metal wagon with an enormous harp standing on it.

Onie had no idea why they were there. But Dean Teren answered that puzzle when they met a broad-shouldered gray bearded man in scarlet. He looked down his large, narrow nose at Onie with pale blue eyes.

"Master Bard Trennis, this is Onie Thatcher, one of our newest Chosen," Teren introduced them. "And a bit of a puzzle. It seems none of our mind magic can touch her. Darkwind thinks that she'll be immune to your Talents as well."

"I don't see why." The Bard narrowed his eyes at Darkwind. "Unless you Mages are cooking up some new tricks for us."

Darkwind held up his hands in surrender and nodded to his fellow Mages. "We are only observers here."

Tremis paced before Onie, his full attention on her. "Well, we'll see. ONIE THATCHER," he suddenly pointed at a door to a smaller room, a circular platform and surrounding chairs visible through the open door, "GO INTO THAT ROOM."

"Actually, Onie, I'd like you to stay here." Darkwind stood just behind her left shoulder.

She grit her teeth. This was obviously just a different version of the test that morning with the foreign Mage trying to get her and Lillis to come to him. But instead of Magery, it was Bard Craft. Head level, she stayed in place and stared back at him as respectfully as she could.

She knew that all the tales said that Bardic Gift and Voice could command people to do what the Bard wanted. But she had never really experienced it for herself and had always thought that it was exaggeration, like so many other things in their stories.

"GO INTO THAT ROOM, NOW, ONIE THATCHER!"

People in the hall stopped to look at them, but Onie stayed in place. Why would anyone do what someone said just because they shouted? The Bard's blue eyes widened. "That's impossible!"

Dean Teren looked terribly pleased and the Mages all exchanged grins. For the next couple of candlemarks Onie proved over and over to a succession of disbelieving Master Bards that she could always get up and leave the room while they were singing. Most were just dumbfounded but some were outright angry. One very handsome dark-haired Bard threw his lute at her even though she got up and backed away as respectfully as she could. He had terrible aim and it smashed into the wall, and then he yelled at her about his broken instrument. She felt even more wretched than she had that morning. If she got every Bard in the Collegium mad at her there wasn't much chance she'd be able to hear them perform. At first sight of her in their audience they'd just tell her to leave before she could hear a note.

Tremis at least did not look angry, just very surprised. He kept shaking his head and he actually smirked when some of his Bards stomped off.

"I've never seen anyone so tune-deaf like this before," he said to Dean Teren when the latest singer left in defeat and Onie stood before them.

"Pardon, Sir." She finally had to speak up. "But I'm na tune-deaf. I kin sing fine, Sir. Me voice isna as fine as these here, but I can sing and I knows plenty 'o songs."

"Really?" His gray brows rose. "Sing one for me then."

Onie's mouth hung open for a moment, her mind suddenly going completely blank.

"Uh, um . . . Dark are the forests, on the manor grounds . . . " The first lines sounded awful as she tried to get her voice to make it right. She had never sung for another person before, just with other people or at festivals or to pass the time when she was working. But memory and habit came to her rescue on the chorus.

" . . . her life will end when friend fights friend, and red blood flows on the white winter snows." She thought it was sounding passably good when he raised a hand for her to stop.

"I'll grant you can tell one note from another," he gave her a kind smile, "though I'd recommend you stay at Herald's Collegium." Tremis looked to Teren and the Mages. "But I couldn't tell you what kind of Talent you've got here. Unless there's a Talent for putting temperamental Bards in their place." He smirked and Onie realized that he was not unhappy at all that she had walked out on some people. So, there was at least one Bard in the Collegium who would not be offended by her presence if she wanted to hear him sing.

* * *

**- - - End Part 7**


	8. Chapter 8

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 8**

* * *

Onie sat back and folded up her letter to Brother Callus at the Lady Trine's shrine back in Fair Fields. She told him all about the day's tests, particularly with the Mages. She knew he'd had some Mage teaching, though he said he had no significant talent for it. He had not even known about it until after the high magic came back to Valdemar and a Mage came to the Lady Trine's shrine.

Yawning, she put the letter aside to be posted in the morning. She'd had no trouble giving her letters back to Fair Fields to a palace page when she finally got a moment to retrieve them from her room. The boy had shown her the box where any letters from Herald's Collegium were placed and collected everyday, though he warned it could be a few weeks for hers to get all the way to Fair Fields depending who the carriers were.

She sat back, alone in the candle and lamp-lit room for awhile. It seemed a terribly ante-climactic end to the her first full day as a Herald-Trainee. Did she feel a bit more like a Herald now? She just wasn't sure. She reached out and picked up the piece of parchment with her schedule on it.

She had hardly gotten to anything on it. All the testing over her Gift had taken up most of the day. There had only been a bit of time for riding (trotting mostly) with Lillis and then she had to wash up for dinner, eat and then Rodie had come downstairs to show her where she could get her library books.

Since the Collegium Library was on the third floor, she couldn't get to any of the books she might need for any of her classes. The substitute for her would be a library on the first floor of the palace. The Queen's palace.

It had been a room with three walls of literally books, on ironoak shelves, floor to ceiling, with a ladder on wheels for reaching anything at the top. Rodie assured her that she could just get a page to retrieve anything on a top shelf but since Onie couldn't see any of the titles up that high she had no idea how she could be sure that a book she wanted would be up there.

She could visit there any time she wished, unless the Queen was using it for official business, but there would be a guard at the door, so Onie would know when she should not go in. It she wanted to take a book to read, she needed to leave a card with her name and the book title and author on it in it's place, so people would know where it was. Rodie showed her a few places with cards in between the books. Apparently people in the palace already followed that rule.

Onie had expressed worry that she might take a book that the Queen or Consort needed. And there would be that incriminating card with her name on it, saying where the missing book was and who had it. Rodie had laughed and assured her that the Queen had her own study where she worked with all the books she needed most ready at hand. They spent a bit of time then working out how the books in the palace library were organized and looking over the titles. There were just so many of them, with covers of brown and gold and tan and black leather, some with gold or silver lettering. A few were dyed green, blue, red and orange.

Onie had openly wondered how many there could be and Rodie then did something very clever that she had never seen before. She counted the number of average-sized books on one shelf. Then she counted the number of shelves in each section floor to ceiling. Then she counted all the sections in the room. Fifty times ten times thirty. Then she subtracted the empty and nearly shelves times the number books that would have been on each shelf. Onie was good at figuring and her jaw dropped at the final number. Over twelve-thousand books. In one room. It wasn't an accurate number, but it was good enough for Onie's idle question about how many there were. Would it really matter if she knew there were twelve-thousand-one-hundred-and-three of them verses twelve-thousand-two-hundred-and-thirty-eight? No. Onie knew that if she had been asked how many books had been in the library, she would have counted them one-by-one. Rodie's estimate was beautiful in it's quickness and simplicity and apparently one of the many things that Herald-Trainees learned at the Collegium.

Onie took a little time just standing in the middle of the palace library looking up at the walls of volumes. She thought that the library was some place sacred that should be attended by priests. Each book had taken many, many hours for people to write and then copy and bind. Their lives were bound up now in those words and stacked up on shelves to be retrieved by anyone looking for their knowledge. And Rodie told her that there were many more books in the Herald's Collegium library, plus the libraries of Healers and Bardic.

As they walked back to Herald's Collegium, Onie knew that among all the things that she needed to learn to be a Hearld, one of the most important would be how to get to that library on the third floor.

Hoping that they were done with their tests, so she could finally start her Herald-Learning, she sighed as she looked down at the schedule and put it back on the desk, already getting cluttered with parchments, pens, ink bottle and wiping clothes.

Picking up the candle, she went to the privy and then, back in her room, she dressed for bed and put out the lamps and candle. Settling down on the hearth, she listened to the random noises amidst the silence of the night. The thrum of the city beyond the palace walls came to her even more strongly than the night before. Before falling asleep she wondered for the first time if other people felt that sound of the city, or was it part of her Gift? . . . . .

. . . . gravel crunched.

Onie opened her eyes to darkness. It was not dawn, not even close. But the sound of someone nearby had woken her. Sitting up, she saw a shadow move beyond the window. Getting up, she went to the desk. Feeling her way up onto the chair she climbed on top of the desk. Standing on it, she was eye level with the glass window pane. Beyond it were legs, visible in the darkness only because of their whiteness.

"Lillis!"

A ghostly white horse nose appeared right next to the glass pane and bumped it.

"What? You want me to go with you? Now?"

The nose nodded. Very insistently. It was important.

Onie got down off the desk and reached for a lamp to light. Then she went to the clothes that she was going to take to the laundry pile in the morning. No need to put on fresh clothes for Lillis's midnight mystery. She took a candle with her.

Lillis impatiently waited right outside the door. She immediately got to her knees so Onie could mount and practically jumped to her feet as soon as she was on.

Onie closed her eyes tight as Lillis quick-trotted over the bridge to Companion's Field even though it was night. It was still like flying over a bottomless abyss that she would plunge into at any moment. Then Lillis's hooves touched solid ground and Onie exhaled. Crossing the bridge had been a little bit better this time. Maybe.

Still bent low over Lillis's back, she looked around. Another white shape joined them, trotting alongside Lillis. And another. And another, on both sides. The hoof beats of a whole herd of Companions rumbled across the grass. They trotted around the edge of the trees. Glancing behind her, Onie saw the shape of the palace in the moonlight disappear behind leaves and branches, out of view.

Lillis slowed down to a walk, separating from the others. Ahead were more Companions facing them. As soon as Lillis stopped, Onie slid down off her back. Her heart had been beating fast, but it slowed as soon as her feet touched the ground. She laid her hand on Lillis neck and her Companion turned her head, her sapphire eyes gone dark in the moonlight.

It was another test.

The postures of the Companions facing them looked astonishingly similar to the Mages in the palace that morning, trying different invisible spells on her and arguing about her Ground Gift. She spotted Gwena, Princess Elspeth's Companion along with Prince Daren's and others she'd seen. And the big stallion who had greeted Lillis coming out of the Collegium building stepped forward. It was pretty obvious who was head of the herd. One stepped right up to him.

"I'm here. Yous wants ta try out yer Magery on me, too, like tha others," she held her hands out," do ye best."

The stallion lowered his head, fixing his large eyes on her. The others moved forward, heads down at eye level with her until she was surrounded, Companions on all sides, less than an arms length away.

Nothing moved. Onie couldn't even hear the usual night insects or birds. For a second everything went silent into total stillness. Onie could hear her breath, sounding loud in the lack of sound. And the Companions' breathing, low and hoarse, coming all together, inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

Onie's nose twitched. The night air was a bit cool. And the mystical creatures surrounding her still smelled strongly of horse. She could feel a sneeze building . . .

"Aaa-Ssssheeewwwwww!" She quickly lowered her head, coverning her face. The big stallion lifted his head, making a horsey 'hrrrrmm-hrrrmm' sound. The others backed away.

"Didna work fer tha Mages neither."

The big stallion turned his head, glaring at her with one big eye.

Lillis pushed her way through the crowd and touched Onie on the shoulder and she lifted her hand to touch Lillis under the chin.

_:You can't hear him, my Chosen?:_

"I hears ye. But yer special." She smiled and shrugged. "An I know what'ee means." She nodded toward the stallion. "Ye magic don' work on me no better'n tha Mage's does." She did not even know what the Companions tried to do, but that didn't really matter; it had not worked.

The stallion 'hrrrmm'ed and curled his lip.

"Ye can't lie ta me neither. Not without me knowin'."

_:I would never lie to you, Chosen.:_

Onie stared at Lillis until she lowered her eyes. Then she turned back to the stallion who tossed his head. The other Companions shifted their positions, making horse-muttering sounds.

"Well, if ye don' tell me na lies. I don know what tha fuss is about."

The stallion narrowed his eyes at her.

"The Queen tells lies ta tha people, fer tha good 'o Valdemar. Back in Fair Fields, when tha Mage storms was comin' faster an people were 'fraid that one would land right on their house, tha guards and tha Heralds tells ev'ryone that tha Queen and tha new Mages and tha foreign Mages would keep tha from happ'nin. That their houses was safe. Come ta find out after it all was over tha no one was safe. If a Mage storm was goin'a land on ye they might not'a been able ta hold'em back. An durin' tha wars . . . there wasna much a them nears Fair Fields, but some men and womenfolk went ta the Guards ta fight. An they says tha in the borderlands they had ta tell tha people livin' there that the Crown would keep 'em safe, whether they could or not. Ta keep'em from panickin' and runnin' an getting' in tha way o' tha war. An I don' remember ever hearin' 'bout these high magics when I was growin' up, but since tha end 'o tha war with Hardorn, tha Bards all got songs about tha high magic, an how there was a spell set over all Valdemar fer hundreds o' years ta keep us all safe from it. An from knowin' 'bout it at all."

Onie folded her arms over her chest.

"Don' see no problem with ye tellin' me any lies if I don'ts ask. I don' ask tha Queen fer her business neither."

The stallion lifted his head, peering down at her. Then he nodded. And with what looked like a horsey smile and wink toward Lillis, he backed away. They all did, except Lillis, walking away into the dark, disappearing like white spirits. Soon, they were alone again. The moon was setting, but it was still a long time till dawn.

Onie stroked Lillis's neck, the short fur soft and warm under her hand. "Ye knows, they won't tell ye some things so ye don's have ta lie ta me."

_:I don't want to lie to you, Chosen. Ever. But I know there are reasons for untruths. And to leave some things hidden and unspoken of.:_

"Aye."

Onie thought about the high magic. Hidden for centuries under a spell, keeping the danger of it away from Valdemar, but hiding it from the minds of the people, too. Except for the Companions. They'd known all along.

She shrugged. And shivered. The night was getting chilly. Lillis nuzzled her cheek, suggesting that they go back, then knelt so Onie could climb on her back. She grasped the soft mane and smiled.

"Let's get home."

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**- - - End Part 8**


	9. Chapter 9

**GROUNDLING: TELL ME NO LIES**

by ardavenport

**- - - Part 9**

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Onie squared her shoulders, looking straight ahead. Lillis looked back at her from the Companion's Field end of the bridge.

Laying a hand on the stone railing, she took a step onto the bridge. She felt light-headed, her head pounding.

She took another step.

Her heart pounded faster and she leaned on the railing and she imagined the stone crumbling away and letting her fall. Lillis whinnied encouragement.

One more step.

She trembled and felt just a little bit sick, but she held her place for a full count of ten. Then she backed up. One, two, three steps. She was on solid ground again and could breathe free. Lillis clip-clopped across the bridge to her, hooves subtly chiming on the stone. She stood with her shoulder touching so Onie could lean on it.

Three steps. It was something. But she could climb up to the second floor of the Collegium, count to ten and then come back down before really feeling sick. She supposed that the bridge was so much harder because it was high off the ground and over water. Healer Luba was convinced that if Onie practiced every day, doing a little bit more each time with her stair-climbing and riding, she would eventually be able to do everything a regular Herald did. So, Onie would keep practicing every day; she just wished it would go faster.

Lillis lowered her head, touching her nose to Onie's new gray boots.

"Aye." She picked up a foot. "They fits good, too. Real riding boots."

Lillis lifted her head and mouthed the white leather pouch around her neck. Onie pulled it away from her.

"Aaay! I'll show you."

She slid the new pair of spectacles out of their pouch and put them on. Instantly the world changed. All the lines of distant buildings became clear and sharp. She could see leaves on trees and recognize faces from across a courtyard. Luba had given them to her that morning.

Lillis shook her head up and down in approval.

"Aye. Everythin's beautiful." Onie grinned. The best part about her new sight was that even if these spectacles were stolen or broken, she would get another pair. They were already making a spare set for her to keep in her room. She looked down, feeling the smooth white leather of the pouch. Luba had said that Onie was going to be a Herald someday. Onie thought the white pouch was a little premature, but she didn't mind, especially since she had gotten past the first week of her training. There was history and Valdemar law and Heraldic duties and an Orientation class and others. With the studying for those, plus riding, weapons work and her chores, Onie's days were quite full.

She took her new spectacles off. "Not used ta havin' somethin' on me face all tha time, an I have ta take'em off fer readin' or sewin', cuase I kin see close fine without'em," She held them out for Lillis to see before putting them back on. "An Captain Kerowyn tells me ta take'em off fer fightin' if I don'ts have ta have'em ta see so they won't get broke." Captain Kerowyn had also declared her fit for archery practice now that she could see properly.

It was the lax day in the week, so she had no classes, but Onie was looking forward trying her new spectacles out in class tomorrow. For now, she and Lillis walked together in the general direction of the barn. Even if there were no classes they still had their riding to do. More practice. The most important practice for Onie, because as soon as she learned to ride properly the sooner Lillis would be able to run with her.

When they got to the barn Onie went to get Lillis's regular tack. She always took care of Lillis's needs if she didn't have to run off to a class or something.

"Onie!"

She looked up from the buckles.

Saston, looking like a properly energetic little boy in his Grays and not the scared scruffy urchin she had met when they both first arrived, came toward her, dragging an older boy in work clothes.

"This is my cousin, Barro. He's a stable-boy here now!" Saston grinned broadly while Barro remained a bit reserved though his smile was genuine enough.

"Ye likes stable work, aye?"

Barro nodded, "Better'n mill work for sure, Ma'am."

"I worked in a stable fer two years, me and me brother. It's good if ye likes horses." Lillis bumped Onie with her nose. "An Companions."

Saston giggled. Onie wondered how Barro's parent's felt about his new job and his new home apparently, but she let Saston bring it up.

"He has to sleep here since he has to be up so early in the morning. An," he paused, clearly trying to think of the words he needed next, "he's got to go home sometimes to see my aunt and uncle," he added, "An Uncle Sev says that he's happy that I got Chosen and Barro works in the palace now . . . " Words failed the boy.

Onie finished the thought for him. "But ye don'ts think so." She smiled, an idea forming. "Y'know if I goes with him, on account we're friends an all, then you can come with me, and you an him can ride an Capar, an I'll be with Lillis. An I kin tell if yer uncle is bein' truthful."

"You can?"

Onie nodded, "I may have a lot 'o trouble with some things, but I kin always see a lie. An make sure yer aunt and uncle behave themselves." She was also learning how to fight as well.

"Thanks!" Saston gave a little hop. Barro now grinned, clearly seeing the advantage of having an adult and his cousin and Companions accompany him. Her presence would discourage Sev from being rough with either his son or nephew. The Guards could be called since any kind of attack on a Herald-Trainee was a crime against the Crown. But only after the damage was done. Barro had just started, so his next visit home wouldn't be until the next lax day.

Saston promised to tell her when they would go and then the two boys ran off out of the barn to find Capar. Onie turned back to her own Companion to find Lillis looking at her.

"Ye don wants ta go?" Lillis did not look at all interested in gong to see Saston's difficult family. "Well," Onie speculated. "We could all jus ride on Capar. Those boys are pretty small, I'm sure Capar would na mind."

Lillis's eyes opened wide with surprise, then she shook her head.

"Jealous?"

She shook her head again with a whinny.

Onie grinned back. "Don tell me na lies."

* * *

**# # # - # # # END # # # - # # #**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** This is a derivative fiction of the Valdemar Universe under Creative Commons license. No measurable monetary profit or compensation for this writer, but lots of fun (which is really what fanfiction is all about anyway). The Valdemar Universe belongs to Marcedes Lackey.


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